University of California, Irvine

In 2001, University of California, Irvine embarked on a long-range development initiative to create a thriving campus community and house 50 percent of all students in market-based products. UC Irvine engaged ACC to develop and implement a strategic housing master plan to dramatically develop its housing portfolio and reshape the residential living experience on campus.

Bringing Students Back to Campus

ACC has partnered with UC Irvine to master plan, develop and manage more than 7,600 on-campus beds, creating a dynamic, academically oriented community that is close to their classes while remaining affordable. For example, all of Plaza Verde II’s units are designed to be priced at rents approximately 30 percent below market rates. 

• Vista del Campo: 1,488-bed upper-division/graduate apartment community; opened in 2004
• VDC Norte: 1,564-bed undergraduate/graduate apartment community; opened in 200
• Puerta del Sol & Camino del Sol: 2,111 beds in two townhome communities; opened in 2010
• Plaza Verde I: 1,441-bed undergraduate apartment community; opened in 2019
• Plaza Verde II: 1,077-bed undergraduate apartment community; opened in 2023

Meeting carbon neutrality goals

The University of California system has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2025, becoming the first major university system to accomplish this achievement. As a longtime partner of the UC System, ACC is committed to helping them meet this goal. Four of our UC Irvine projects are LEED-certified or tracking LEED certification. 

Plaza Verde II, the fifth phase of our strategic housing plan, is designed to LEED Gold standards. This all-electric building brings the Plaza Verde community up to four residential buildings, all of which (along with a neighboring parking garage) have rooftop photovoltaic arrays to help achieve net-zero carbon, benefiting from electric grid transformation. It is also the first ACC-developed community to test EV charging stations. Plaza Verde I is also LEED Gold certified, consuming 72 percent less energy and using 50 percent less water than a standard building.