Mortenson's University of California San Diego Price Center Wins AIA Award

Minneapolis, MN - The American Institute of Architects (AIA) San Diego chapter recently selected Mortenson's University of California San Diego - Price Center as a recipient of their 2009 Honor Award. The Honor Award is AIA San Diego’s highest award and celebrates extraordinary projects, thoroughly resolved architectural design, worthy of the profession’s highest regard. Only two projects were selected to receive this award in 2009.

The 250,000 square foot Price Center East Expansion project involved two additions and a remodel of the existing campus student center. The expansion included a 4-story asymmetrical atrium, ballroom, 24 hour lounge, 7 new food vender suites, retail venues, meeting rooms, administrative areas, and student organization offices. The one-story below grade level provided a new loading dock and receiving area large enough to receive full sized semi trailers. 

"This project was an extremely challenging project as it was not only a 180,000 sf building addition but we also completed a phased 70,000 sf remodel of the existing building, all of this while the building was fully occupied by both UCSD staff and students. Adding to these challenges was the complex design in which there are almost no right angles in the building and none of the floor footprints are even close to the same." said Brent Slama, Senior Project Manager.

The Price Center was Mortenson’s fifth consecutive project for the University of California San Diego.