Hinarr Hu Moulik East & West Student Housing
Cal Poly Humboldt is entering a new chapter as the third polytechnic university in the California State University (CSU) system. With enrollment growth expected over time, the University decided to proactively expand capacity, ensuring that more students have access to on-campus living and relieving pressure on the local rental market.
Hinarr Hu Moulik East & West Student Housing is the latest addition to Cal Poly Humboldt’s campus residential experience. While undergoing a campus master planning effort, the University fast tracked an upper-division undergraduate apartment project to diversify and increase their on-campus offerings.
Affordability was the key driver for the project. Hinarr Hu Moulik utilized the CSU system’s collaborative design/build delivery method; this is SCB’s fifth student housing project to utilize this cost-effective delivery method and its fourth in partnership with Sundt Construction. Originally envisioned as a 600-bed project, SCB’s initial site analysis identified opportunities to increase the capacity to nearly 1000 beds. This enabled the University to secure additional funding from the state to support the increased density, helping to ensure its affordability.
In support of the University’s directive to maximize affordable beds, the Sundt/SCB team implemented a series of innovative design strategies. Given Humboldt’s remote location, seismic conditions, and the desire to streamline code approvals, the design team leveraged Sundt’s ability to self-perform concrete to deliver the buildings as Type 1 structures. This approach enabled the use of precast, fully glazed concrete façade panels fabricated offsite and installed as modular units. The system simplified the building envelope, accelerated the construction schedule, reduced the need for on-site labor, and provided a weathertight enclosure that protected interior work.
The new student residential experience is composed of two buildings framing a central outdoor “mews,” bookended by a campus shuttle stop to the north and a café/convenience store to the south. The building’s residential lobbies and student amenities, including a fitness center, social recreation spaces, multipurpose rooms, and a central laundry facility, activate the mews and help establish the community’s identity. Two additional landscaped courtyards provide a quiet garden and an event lawn for student use.
The architectural and interior design take inspiration from Northern California’s coastal and forested landscape, grounding the residential experience in the region’s unique context. The building’s stepped massing mimics the region’s natural topography, while materials and detailing capture the shifting light, shadow, and forms found within the surrounding redwoods and coastline. A rhythm of bold, angular canopies, and vertical stacks of glazed study lounges create a façade that feels both grounded and uplifted. Inside, the design is elevated with a warm, residential aesthetic. Light wood tones, warm concrete, and the University’s colors (green, gold, and Pacific blue) create spaces that feel both welcoming and distinctly connected to Cal Poly Humboldt’s identity.
In accordance with the CSU system’s sustainability goals, the project is fully electric and designed to meet the equivalent of LEED Gold certification. The building wings are oriented to frame the south-facing courtyards, maximizing natural daylight while sheltering the site from prevailing winds. Taking advantage of the temperate North Coast climate, the facility is designed without air conditioning, relying instead on natural ventilation and energy-efficient heating systems. EUI for the entire project, inclusive of all residential units, amenities, commercial kitchen, and café are anticipated to be less than 29 kBtu/ft2/year.
