Established in 1989, the University of California San Diego's (UCSD) Price Center West Plaza is located at the campus center for student services and activities. With the help of Landscape Architect Angelina Sotelo and Architect Hector Reyes, what was previously a wide concrete expanse lacking in greenery is now a vibrant hub that serves over 30,000 people who pass through daily. This elevated outdoor experience caters to students and visitors alike with improved social spaces for dining, studying, vending, and promoting opportunities. The redesign centers on connectivity and circulation, stormwater treatment, and much-needed landscaping, complementing the campus's historical modern architecture. Importantly, this space blends the boundaries between indoor and outdoor, aspiring to become the campus outdoor living and dining room for a unique experience.
The new plaza harmonizes its roles as a busy campus intersection and social node by combining the needs for traversing and gathering through creating spaces designed to meet these needs. From the library walk flanked by the historic fountain and architecture, pedestrians walking down the existing concrete steps are immediately welcomed into the plaza's new promenade. It was important to establish a meaningful concept to this busy promenade - one that would embody and celebrate school spirit. Those with an affinity for music may notice that the paver pattern in the main walkway is presented with a series of bars that mimic the notes of the UCSD Fight Song. Using a combination of charcoal and white pavers, the patterns emulate the melody of the Triton fight song on a musical grand staff. Each dark segment signifies a note, with its thickness representing the counts and its length indicating its pitch. The measures of the song are then separated by four consecutive white pavers.
The plaza's new dining terrace seizes the opportunity to create a seamless indoor-outdoor experience with its dramatic, new shade structure and paving design. Semi-solid, laser-cut panels create intricate weaving patterns of shade and light as the day progresses, inspiring reflection and ingenuity. Finishing the site are fixtures for heating, lighting, Wi-Fi, and speakers in the landscape. The interior food court's radial terrazzo floor pattern extends to the outside with matching bands of enhanced, colored concrete. The prominent yellow flooring beginning at the Price Center East building sees thousands of students pass through the campus's famous "yellow tunnel" into the food court. The yellow floor aesthetic continues onto the dining terrace, visually culminating in the new plaza. The terrace and new shade structure are complemented by new evergreen trees, adorning the site with vertical green relief from the hot sun and creating an urban garden feel.

 
Raised Corten steel planters bordering the walkway treat passersby to a new aesthetic experience, as the warm colors of the steel contrast the soft greens and varied textures of lush, new planting. Green masses of hardy Pittosporum shrubs contrast with light-green swaths of Lomandra grass (Lomandra longifolia) that sway in the breeze, emulating the constant movement through the space. New Strawberry Trees (Arbutus unedo) soften and complement the existing architecture while inviting curious students to pick its bright-red, edible fruit as they swing by. The site's carefully selected plant material is chosen for its durability, longevity, and ability to complement the school and regional climate. The green hues of the shrubs and grasses contrast with the striking red, gnarled trunks of the Strawberry Trees and the blues of the Blue Chalksticks (Senecio mandraliscae) and Blue Glow Agave (Agave attenuata x Agave ocahui) that add a vibrant pop of color.
The duality of the steel planters elevating the landscape to eye-level also serves to provide the plaza's seating areas relief from the busy promenade. The planters transition into gently sloping concrete planters that play with various horizonal and vertical angles to envelop these spaces in lush greenery. The plaza's new design invites users to socialize, study, or relax in updated furnishings located outside the theater or enjoy a bite to eat on the revamped dining terrace.
Combined, these new elements have transformed the dated plaza into an inviting, exciting, and beautiful new space at the heart of UCSD.

PROJECT TEAM
Landscape Architect: Sotelo Landscape Architects
Angelina Sotelo, ASLA, Jonathan Villarreal, Alejandra Meza, Dani Paramo, Melissa Perez, Abril Ruiz, and Wazeem Khan
Architect: Reyes Architects, Hector A. Reyes
General Contractor: Swinerton, Isabela Arce, Arnulfo Espinoza, Jackie Villanueva
Landscape Contractor: Costa Azul Landscape