UC Davis Orchard Park Graduate and Family Student Housing

Design Firm: TCA Architects
Photography: Vincent Ivicevic 

Orchard Park at UC Davis is a transformative 19-acre student housing community featuring 11 four-story residential buildings and two community centers with study, fitness, and gathering spaces. Pivot proudly led the sourcing and procurement of furniture for the entire project—furnishing community buildings, common areas, corridors, residential units, exterior spaces, and installing curated artwork throughout the neighborhood. 

Designed with sustainability and community at its core, Orchard Park preserved and integrated over 40 heritage trees into its landscape, creating a lush, green environment with a children’s play area and an extensive network of bike and pedestrian paths. These efforts along with several other sustainable attributes earned the project LEED Platinum certification, reinforcing its commitment to environmental stewardship. 

This project—the largest student housing development in the nation at its time of construction with approximately 3,600 rooms—has been widely recognized for its excellence. Orchard Park received the Best Higher Education/Research Project in Northern California award from Engineering News-Record (ENR) and a Gold Nugget Award of Merit from the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC) for being one of the best "Student or Faculty Housing" projects nationally.  

Distinct design concepts were developed for two housing types: “Greenhouse” for graduate housing, characterized by eclectic wood tones and industrial elements, and “Treehouse” for family housing, with playful greens, natural wood details, and whimsical touches like hammock-inspired furnishings. Pivot’s involvement helped bring these vibrant, community-centered environments to life, supporting UC Davis’ vision for a welcoming, sustainable student neighborhood.