IRVINE, CA-American Campus Communities Inc. of Austin, TX has started the design phase on up to 4,000 beds of housing at UC Irvine, naming KTGY Group Inc. Architecture and Planning of Irvine as architect for the project. The project will target a silver or higher certification under the US Green Building Council's LEED rating system.

The multiple-phase American Campus housing development at UCI will be located on up to five separate land parcels on the East Campus of the university, with the first phase expected to commence construction in 2008. It is part of a plan by UCI to increase housing at its campus, which currently serves approximately 25,000 students, from approximately 10,500 beds to 14,500 beds.

According to Dan McAllister, a KTGY principal and lead designer on the project, KTGY has considerable experience in designing for college campuses as well as for LEED or green buildings. For example, KTGY and American Campus recently completed the Vista del Campo and Vista del Campo Norte projects totaling 3,000 beds on the UCI campus.

UCI earlier this year named American Campus to begin planning for the development of the new beds. Preparations for the development, such as planning for the financing, housing product types, construction phasing and management, are already under way.

The university expects to structure the majority of the development with American Campus providing third-party development and management services, but UCI is considering equity investment by American Campus for limited portions of the overall development. The project will continue an ongoing relationship between the company and the university.

American Campus officials says that the combination of the beds that will be created through this project and the previously completed UCI projects by American Campus represent one of the largest public/private partnerships in the student housing industry. Manuel Gomez, UC Irvine vice chancellor for student affairs, says the new housing will be designed to meet the university's goal of providing living spaces that are "both affordable and green."

Publicly held American Campus Communities is a REIT and one of the largest developers, owners and managers of student housing in the US. The company owns and manages a portfolio of 43 student housing complexes comprising approximately 26,800 beds. Including its owned properties, American Campus provides management and leasing services at a total of 56 properties, representing approximately 35,600 beds located on or near college and university campuses.