McCarthy Building Companies and Gensler have entered into a partnership for a new project, named Segundo Infill Housing, at the University of California (UC) Davis, in the US. 

The design-build team has secured the contract to deliver sustainable residence halls for first-year students. 

This team also includes Buehler Engineering, Psomas, Helix Electric, PAE, Frank M. Booth, Quadriga, and Guttman & Blaevoet. 

Gensler project director Sandy Mendler said: “Working collaboratively with McCarthy, we were able to design a new model for first-year housing that increases density, while knitting together the Segundo neighbourhood, and maximising space for the community building that is so essential to student success.” 

The $77m project will unfold in three phases, with the initial two dedicated to design and the final phase encompassing construction.  

Construction is expected to commence in early 2025, with completion anticipated in early 2027.  

Spanning 116,000ft², the structure will incorporate a concrete podium and prefabricated light-gauge steel walls. 

This method is said to save time and costs by eliminating on-site framing. 

The design of the residence halls is tailored to the active lifestyle of UC Davis students, featuring bike parking in line with the university's bike-friendly culture.  

The Segundo Infill Housing project will include groups of eight rooms with shared all-gender restrooms, study areas, and lounges. 

It will also comprise amenities such as a demonstration kitchen, Zoom rooms, laundry facilities, outdoor spaces, and support services.  

McCarthy's construction superintendent Josh Gillmore will oversee the development while McCarthy's project director Jeff Fuller will be responsible for the project development.  

This comes after McCarthy implemented Oracle Textura, a construction payment management application, to support its payment processes in February this year.