The UCLA School of Art and Architecture collaborated with cityLAB to officially open BruinHub, a similar space for UCLA students facing long commutes or housing insecurity. Located in the John Wood Center, BruinHub will be a 24/7 space that will provide students with facilities for naps, rest, study, storage and waiting for transportation.
BruinHub's design centers on Study Pods; prefabricated units made of machine-cut oriented strand board and decorated with bright fabrics. Each pod contains a flexible bench that can be used for sleeping or studying, as well as a workbench, reading lights, storage space and power outlets. More extensive facilities also include WiFi, charging stations, food preparation stations, personal storage, and centers for distributing important campus information and services. The design of the center meets COVID-based safety standards for disinfection and social distancing.
This initiative is the result of years of research and advocacy by cityLAB, UCLA Student Affairs Department, UCLA Community Project Office, First Year Experience Office and UCLA Basic Needs Office. They are under the banner of "BruinHub Alliance" Work together. The design of the space also considers the opinions of students who experience extreme commuting and housing insecurity to understand the common practices and needs of the student group.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has caused more students to live further away from campus, the university hopes that BruinHub can provide a respite for more and more students facing long commutes in the new school year. The results of a study conducted by cityLAB on UCLA student groups in 2020 further informed the project. The study found that 43% of students living off campus face housing insecurity, 38% face food insecurity, and 15% face homelessness. Return.
In addition, the survey found that 78% of students showed at least mild anxiety, 36% of students were taking care of their families, and 63% of students were unable to concentrate on their studies. 46% of students also reported lack of stable WiFi. The pressure of transportation, housing, and disruption caused 32% of respondents to consider withdrawing or postponing their courses. The university sees BruinHub as part of a broader strategy to solve these problems by using campus facilities and resources to reduce the number of students seeking car breaks or temporary accommodation arrangements.
The completed BruinHub was launched on September 23 and will be fully open to students on September 27.
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