UC Santa Barbara housing project is a solution facing design opposition

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - UC Santa Barbara has a new housing project in the planning stages funded by $1.5 billion but the design has reportedly led to a consulting architect to drop out.

Some of those reviewing the 11-story, 4,500 room building are using the word prison to describe the looks.

Billionaire Charlie Munger is funding the project at a time when the school has such a shortage of housing, some students are living off-campus in nearby hotels, with the school supplementing their costs.

UCSB has said in a statement:

The Munger Hall project and design is continuing to move forward as planned. The plan is a collaboration between the university, philanthropist Charles Munger distinguished architect Navy Banvard, FAIA, the Managing Principal of Van Tilburg, Banvard, and Soderbergh, AIA (VTBS). We are delighted to be moving forward with this transformational project that directly addresses the campus’s great need for more student housing. All our current housing projects are guided by our Campus Plan, which was developed through an extensive campus participatory process with the assistance of Urban Design Associates with the goal of providing affordable, on-campus housing that minimizes energy consumption, and reduces the number of students living in the neighboring community of Isla Vista and beyond.

The housing concept has many small single unit rooms that encourage those living there to come out into larger common areas to interact with others.