Bechtel Residence Wins Los Angeles Architecture Award

At its annual award ceremony, the Los Angeles Business Council honored Caltech's Bechtel Residenceon June 21 for excellence in design.

The Architectural Awards, which recognize "stunning architectural achievements" that utilize sustainable building practices, honored the Bechtel Residence in the housing category.

Joseph Shepherd (PhD '81), Caltech's vice president for student affairs, called the award "a fitting acknowledgement of the many individuals and organizations who contributed to the design and construction of the Bechtel Residence. I am appreciative for all of their efforts and congratulate them on receiving this award for the attractive and sustainable addition to our residential housing."

Caltech's newest undergraduate residence, the 211-bed Bechtel Residence—named for Caltech life trustee Stephen D. Bechtel Jr.—was designed by Los Angeles-based ZGF Architects and officially opened its doors to students in September 2018.

The building includes sustainability features such as rooftop solar panels to help power the building as well as design features to minimize solar heating of the interior. It also includes special piping and other related infrastructure to accommodate the possible addition of a water-reuse system in the future.

The first new undergraduate housing facility to open on campus in more than two decades, Bechtel is a multiuse residence that houses undergraduates from all class levels along with two faculty in residence, a half dozen graduate resident associates, and a residential life coordinator.