DBIA awarded the UC San Diego Mesa Nueva Student Housing project in San Diego, California the National Award of Merit in the Educational Facilities category. Connecting campus communities, the UC San Diego Mesa Nueva multiple mixed-use buildings define and connect a series of outdoor rooms that respond to the natural site and foster community. The project consists of five housing buildings and a parking garage. The on-campus housing complex, which totals 270,000 square feet across the various facilities, consists of 853 single occupancy micro apartments plus common areas. Inside and out, Mesa Nueva’s amenities serve as mixing chambers, delivering flexibility, access, and choice to the diverse resident population. The design increases housing density in a respectful way that connects to the larger landscape and community and addresses a waiting list with thousands of graduate students seeking affordable on-campus housing.