University of California, Davis Segundo CommonsDavis, CA
The new Segundo Commons offers cutting-edge food service and is a major destination and gathering place for the Segundo residence hall district. The 49,000-square foot, one-story building provides market-place dining service for almost 900 diners simultaneously, as well as a full cook/chill supplying other dining facilities throughout the campus. The program also includes serving and finishing stations distributed throughout the dining areas; production kitchen, offices, and storage; lobby, information, and service areas; and loading dock and service yard.
The building is a prominent and inviting destination for the student residential community, and its height and massing acknowledge and relate to the existing neighboring buildings and landscape elements. The major existing bike path is relocated south of the building to allow uninterrupted pedestrian connections between the commons and the residence halls, strengthening the unity of the Segundo community.
The circular entrance court on the building’s north side creates a literal center for the Segundo area, while also serving as the building’s main organizing principle. The building, clad in stone, precast concrete, and glass, follows this powerful curve, intensifying it with dramatic volumes and varied heights.
The building’s exterior massing directly expresses the major interior volumes. The large, 20,000 square-foot dining area is composed of comfortably-scaled spaces of varying volumes and heights that admit generous natural light from windows, curtain walls, and clerestories, and provide a variety of dining experiences. The large, unobstructed kitchen area allows for maximum program flexibility.
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