Today’s college students want the freedom to study, snack, and socialize at any time and anywhere on campus. At UCLA, the newest hot spot for the mobile, wireless-enabled generation is Hedrick Study, located on the ground floor of Hedrick Hall, a 1960s-era high-rise dormitory. With its European-style food hall, cozy fireplace, and variety of comfy seating arrangements, you might mistake it for the lobby of a boutique hotel. “In fact, the Ace Hotel was one of the inspirations for the interior,” says Jim Favaro, principal of Johnson Favaro of Los Angeles, which designed the $9.1 million renovation.
The project replaces a 1990s food-court-style cafeteria that was dying on the vine due to changes in technology and student lifestyles. Hedrick Hall is a hilly, 12-minute walk from UCLA’s central campus to the east; the dorm’s 1,100-plus residents were increasingly staying on campus after classes to mingle with friends and tackle assignments before heading home at night. But the cafeteria closed after traditional dinner hours (read: there was nowhere to satisfy a late-night case of the munchies), and its tables and chairs weren’t conducive to group or solo studying. To bring the large common area back to life, Johnson Favaro envisioned it as a round-the-clock space that functioned as a 24–7 food market and a library without books—and with all the amenities and connectivity expected on today’s campuses.
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The original 22,000-square-foot space had been roughly divided in half, between back-of-house kitchen and openplan cafeteria with seating. Improving the floor plan was the architects’ top priority. “We knew the interior architecture had to drive function here, or else the new space would be as underutilized as the old one,” says Favaro. In lieu of an open plan, the architects crafted a series of interconnected seating and study areas on the eastern side of the footprint that range from quiet to busy, where students can work alone, side by side, or in groups, and socialize during breaks. These areas ring an enclosed central reading room—a nod to traditional library design. The food hall, nestled between the study areas and the revamped kitchen, takes its cues from Italian rosticcerias, French boulangeries, English pubs, and American delicatessens, says Favaro. There students can buy grab-and-go meals, brick-oven pizza, coffee, baked goods, and other snacks and take them right to their seats. The new 7,000-square-foot kitchen supports the food hall and is also the meal-prep center for 13,300 students on UCLA’s food plan.
Furnishings and finishes in warm, textured neutrals lend the interior a vibe that’s inviting and intimate rather than institutional. Johnson Favaro designed the fireplace, fixed furniture, and a few decorative touches such as ceiling treatments and durable, custom-printed floor tiles laid to look like Persian carpets. “Materials in public buildings need to be long-lasting so clients get the best bang for the buck,” says Favaro. “The goal was a luxury feel without the luxury price tag.” Rodrigo Vargas Design helped the firm select furnishings and designed some custom pieces.
Since opening in January 2017, Hedrick Study serves about 3,000 students per day, and twice that number when final exams roll around. As hoped, it’s buzzing at all hours, and many dorm residents return from campus right after classes so they can snag their favorite seats and stay there for the rest of the day. “It’s like a communal living room,” says Favaro. For these students, there’s no place like home—especially if it comes with great grub and high-speed Internet.
CreditsArchitect: Johnson Favaro, 5898 Blackwelder Street Culver City, CA 90232, 3105595720, johnsonfavaro.com
Personnel in architect's firm who should receive special credit: Steve Johnson, Jim Favaro, Brian Davis, Kathy Williams, Ingrid Dennert, Chris Rallo, Peter Moerland
Architect of record: Johnson Favaro, 5898 Blackwelder Street Culver City, CA 90232, 3105595720, johnsonfavaro.com
Interior designer: Rodrigo Vargas Design
Engineers Structural: Nabih Youssef Structural Engineers Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing/Sustainability: Integral Group
Consultants Cost: Basis Consultants Technology: Waveguide Acoustical: Waveguide AV: Waveguide Kitchen: LASCHOBER + SOVICH Lighting: Dark Horse Lighting
General contractor: Tobo Construction
Photographer: ohn Ellis |
Specifications
Structural System Structural Steel: Access Steel Fabricating
Exterior Cladding Thin Brick Veneer: Endicott
Roofing Sika Sarnafil G410 Spring Iso Curbs: ThyBar OSA Flow Monitoring: Ebtron
Windows Arcadia
Glazing PPG Solarban 70XL
Doors Automatic Sliding Duraglide 2000 SS: Stanley Hollow Metal Door: Door Components Inc Hollow Metal Frame: Door Components Inc Wood door: Haley Custom Honeycomb Core Doors: Door Components Inc Sliding Automatic Doors: Stanley Sesame Access Door: Karp Associates Insulated Exterior Access Door: Karp Associates Combustible Ceiling Fire Rated Access Doors Overhead Coiling Door: Cornell
Hardware Locks, latches, and keying: Schlage Floor-Concealed Door Closer: Intertek Door Closers: LCN Overhead Closers (Double Acting): Rixon Exit Devices: Von Duprin Air Louvers: Vision Lite Frames and Door Louvers Seals, door bottoms, and thresholds: NGP
Interior Finishes Kitchen Zone square lay-in: Armstrong Kitchen Zone beveled tegular: Armstrong Armstrong Woodworks Concealed: Prime Acoustics Branch ceiling: Tobo Construction Inc Casework Handcrafted Bev Counter: Tobo Construction DEW 341 Swiss Coffee Suprema Semi Gloss: Benjamin Moore Paints DEW 341 Swiss Coffee Evershield Gloss: Benjamin Moore Paints DEA 187 Black Suprema Flat: Benjamin Moore Paints DEA 187 Black Suprema Semi Gloss: Benjamin Moore Paints BM2065-40 Utah Sky Suprema Flat: Benjamin Moore Paints BM2065-40 Utah Sky Suprema Semi Gloss: Benjamin Moore Paints DE 6315 Black Pool Suprema Semi Gloss, Suprema Flat: Benjamin Moore Paints DE 6364 Cavernous Suprema Semi Gloss, Suprema Flat: Benjamin Moore Paints Branch Ceiling Rich Mahogany wood stain: Old Masters Chalkboard paint: Benjamin Moore Paints Custom Murals: Koroseal (design by Johnson Favaro) Woodworks Ekos: Murano Acoustical Wall Panels: Tech-Wall Inc Acoustic Wood Veneer Panel: Murano: Cesarstone Fluid Applied Chemical Resistant Flooring: Dur-a-flex Floor and wall tile: Custom Fireplace Floor Tile: California Pottery and Tile Works (design by Johnson Favaro) Custom Study Room Floor Tile: Imagine Tile (design by Johnson Favaro) Custom Study Den Floor Tile: Imagine Tile (design by Johnson Favaro) Reading Room Floor Tile: Iris Ceramica, Granitifiandre Servery Tile: Daltile Carpet: Turkish Blend – Grey: Flor Turkish Bloom – Grey: Flor Turkish Smoke – Grey: Flor First Absolute: Modulyss Special interior finishes unique to this project: Signage: Visual Graphics Fireplace: Ortal heating Solutions Wall & Corner guards: Gordon Incorporated
Furnishings Fixed seating: East Lounge Sectional Sofa: ZF Services South Lounge Sofa: Steelcase East Lounge Chair Leather Chairs: Tangram Navy Counter Stool: Tangram Lounge Chairs at Root Table: Tangram Chairs: North Lounge Café Chair: Tangram East Chair Lounge Low Chair: Tangram East Lounge Handle Aspen Chair: Bernhardt Furniture East Lounge Carrel Armless Chair: ZF Services Study Den Carrel Study Chair: Steelcase Hi-Tech Study Room Chair: Steelcase ADA Dining Chairs: Tangram Reading Room Carrel Study Side Chair: ZF Services Lounge Chairs at Root Table: Bernhardt Furniture Tables: Community Dining Table: ZF Services (design by Rodrigo Vargas Design) Coffee Table at Entrance: Steelcase Sprout Café Table: Blu Dot Design South and East Lounge Coffee Tables: ZF Services East Lounge Table, 8 Seater: ZF Services East Lounge Coffee Table: Steelcase East Lounge Large Mimosa Table: Allermuir High Tech Study Room Table 6 seater: Steelcase High Tech Study Room Table 4 seater: Steelcase East Lounge 12" Round Side Tables: Tangram Interiors North Lounge Cafe Tables: West Coast Interiors Study Tables and Carrels: Yamada Upholstery: Oasis: Arc Com Fabrics, Inc. Billiard Cloth: Designtex Fabrics Trait: Maharam Fabric Corp
Lighting Interior ambient lighting: Custom Chandelier: Spike Lighting Pendants: Baselite Corporation Optic Arts Yttrium Davidio Pendant: Western Energy Control Solutions Recessed Indoor Source Lighting: Elliptipar Bronx 1-Light Pendant: Eurofase Lighting Brummel grande Pendant: Eurofase Lighting Downlights: Recessed Round Beveled Accent: LF Illumination Trimmed Housings: LF Illumination Simpleseal Csedo Series: Kenall Beat Pendant Fat Black: Tom Dixon Beat Pendant Wide Black: Tom Dixon Beat Pendant Stout Black: Tom Dixon Beat Pendant Tall Black: Tom Dixon WingRail Ceiling Cable: Vode Lighting Recessed LED 2x2: Lithonia Recessed Lightplane: ALW SNLED Lensed: Eaton 2” LED Recessed Downlight: Aculux Tasklighting: Hailey LED: Birchwood Lighting Dimming system or other lighting controls: Network Lighting Controls: nLight
Plumbing Soil Pipe and Fittings: Tyler/Husky Copper Pipe and Fittings: Mueller Industries/Elkhart Products (Aalbert Industries) Gas Pipe and Fittings: Wheatland/Anvil International/Brass Craft Pipe Hanger and Supports: FNW Valves: Nibco Strainers: Wilkins FD-1: Jay R. Smith Clean outs: Jay R. Smith Backflow Preventers: Watts Water Hammer Arrestor: Jay R. Smith Mixing valve: Watts Outlet Boxes: Guy Gray
Energy Energy management or building automation system: Pollution Control Unit: Captive Aire Upblast Centrifugal Exhaust Ventilator: Cook Air Duct Damper Drive: Greenheck Backdraft Damper: Ruskin Rooftop Makeup Air Units: Aaon |
