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Lynn Capouya, Inc. (LCI) has designed the master plan and the project implementation documents for the Ring Mall, public plazas and promenades adjacent to seven major science facilities on the University of California Irvine Campus (UCI).
Design approvals have included a complex variety of presentations and workshops to and with the UCI?EUR??,,????'?????<
The circular asphalt area to the left of the security bollards is a turnaround point for official vehicles. The planters seen here are mirrored across the street at the Natural Science II Building to set geometry for the node created at the vehicular intersection. Cercis and olea were selected as key accent/color trees. The bicycle racks, from recycled materials, encourage the student leg-powered transportation. Bicycle racks earn one LEED point.
UCI campus architect Rebekah Gladson, who is also UCI vice chancellor, oversees all UCI?EUR??,,????'?????<
LCI has completed the landscape design for 12 facilities. Nine of these facilities are now occupied, two are under construction and one is in final design. LCI has acted as both prime consultant to the university and as a subconsultant to the major construction and architectural firms involved in the project. Production scheduling continues to be organized to meet the demands of multiple project phases simultaneously. This ongoing body of work spanning three years currently covers in excess of 15 acres of landscape alone with each university building having at least one main entry statement and identifying plaza, providing a focal area opening onto the Ring Mall.
The heavy clay soil here required an extensive underground landscape drainage system to ensure proper plant growth. All the selected species are considered drought tolerant. The university?EUR??,,????'?????<
Key intersections along the Ring Mall are themed to create a sense of place and unique architectural identity reflecting the respective schools. A grass median, coupled with the shade trees in the Ring Mall softens the pedestrian colonnade and brings the monumental size of the buildings down to human scale.
Most recently, LCI has been retained as subconsultant to Hensel Phelps Construction Co. to begin the final phase of this proven design and implementation program for the University of California Irvine Medical Center in Orange, Calif.
LCI was also the landscape architect selected as part of the design/build team by Valley Crest to prepare final design drawings for UCI?EUR??,,????'?????<
The project was selected in part because the building fulfilled the vision of the university through its design and construction. It is among the first of the California Institutes for Science and Innovation facilities chartered by the state in late 2000. The landscape components of the building included a circular plaza enhancing the main entry. This plaza was significant in its relationship to the development of two other adjacent buildings.
LCI participated in the master plan preparation for the Computer Science II Building area, including Engineering Science III and Bren Hall under separate contracts, thus creating unusual perspective in the site development of the area.
Connectivity and access for pedestrians and fire trucks challenged the juxtaposition of stairs, paths, walls and planter areas. In the case of Bio Sciences III, the number building complex was combined into one building by the design team to minimize site coverage and ultimate project cost.
The UCI master plan/Ring Mall in the Natural Sciences area of campus is the culmination of an effort that began for us over eight years ago,?EUR??,,????'?????<
As part of the Natural Sciences I Building development, UCI campus architect Rebekah Gladson, who is also the vice chancellor, asked LCI to prepare some concepts for the pedestrian circulation route through UCI, aka the Ring Mall, and hired Hensel Phelps Construction. The final piece of this area was the completion of Biological Sciences III, which was completed with Dinwiddie Hathaway.
Ms. Gladson has worked to bring a unifying architectural style to the campus and to keep everything on a pedestrian scale.
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Plant Palette-All the facilities referenced the UCI green and gold plan, which delineates a drought tolerant plant palette including some native species. A three-inch layer of bark mulch is incorporated to reduce evapotranspiration. Trees are placed on the south sides of the buildings, patios and in the Ring Mall median to create shade wherever possible.
The heavy clay soils are prevalent in this area. To ensure proper plant growth and development, the soils were tested and amended or replaced to allow for adequate root penetration and percolation of water.
Irrigation-All of the irrigation at UCI taps into the Irvine Ranch Water District reclaimed water off from a 16-inch dedicated loop system that is campus wide. The selected equipment is low gallonage/volume and minimizes overhead spray equipment wherever possible. Automatic controllers have built in CCUs that communicate with central control and moisture sensors.
Stormwater-A bioswale and detention basins are part of the site design for the Biological Sciences III Building, adjacent to the Natural Sciences I Building, to reduce runoff and create an opportunity for first flush mitigation in the bioswale and turf areas.
Though the site areas around some buildings are tight, the soil preparation and underground landscape drainage do allow for some percolation and reduced runoff.
Pavers are set in a gravel bed throughout the Ring Mall allowing for percolation, while giving a human scale to the pedestrian experience between and around these buildings.
Roof Garden-A feature of the design at McGaugh Hall was the roof garden of an underground laboratory. In lieu of actual planted materials, a variety of light-colored, seeded gravel, rocks and boulders were designed into a graphic pattern.
Lighting-Landscape lighting is via sodium halide reducing harsh glare, but providing for safety and security using reduced energy.
Each project team employed a variety of general contractors, architects, engineers and LEED consultants. Most of the facilities are LEED certified. The landscape component for each building included both direct and indirect points earned through sustainable practices. As landscape architects our role was collaborative. The team effort is paramount in developing a sustainable project and assembling the documentation for certification.
Project: Biological Sciences Building-Unit 3
Client: University of California at Irvine
UCI Project Manager: Francesco Porcella, AIA
Design Architects: DES, Architects/Engineers Project Principal: Craig Ivancovich, AIA C. Thomas Gilman, AIA Susan Eschweiler, AIA Brian Cooper, AIA Denise DeVille Kevin LeMans
Landscape Architect: Lynn Capouya, Inc., Irvine, Calif. General Contractor: Hathaway Dinwiddie Rashmi Mehta Tom Raffety
California Information Technology II Project Owner: UCI Lynn Capouya, Inc., Landscape Architects Client VALLEY CREST
Awards:
Other UCI Projects Include:
Natural Sciences I Hensel Phelps Construction Co.
Natural Sciences II Zimmer Gunsel Frasca
Vivarium Zimmer Gunsel Frasca
Roland Hall University of California Irvine
Ring Mall University of California Irvine
California Information Technology II Valley Crest
Computer Sciences II Esherick, Hornsey, Dodge and Davis, Architects
Engineering Sciences Hammel, Green and Abrahamson
Palo Verde Housing JBZ Architects
Bio Science III Dinwiddie Hathaway/DES
Social & Behavioral Science Building Dinwiddie Hathaway/DES
University of California Medical Center HOK/Hensel Phelps
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
November 12th, 2025
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