McCarthy Hall Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles CA
The architecture of McCarthy Hall, the first phase 249-bed dormitory of the Leavey Campus responds environmentally to the uniqueness of the Loyola Marymount site and its early architectural heritage.
The building, constructed in concrete with an exterior plaster finish, is residential in scale. Trellises with flowering vines are integrated into the building at the ground level and at a rooftop patio over the two-story entry. The varied vertical wall planes of the bay and recessed windows capture and enhance what is so unique in Southern California - the opportunity to interpret architectural elements through the definition of light and shadows.
Each floor of each wing of the "T" shaped building houses a community of approximately 40 students. Typical rooms are in a two bedroom suite configuration, each housing four students with study / sleeping areas and a shared, common compartmentalized bathroom space.
Each student community has a separate study and social room, all with views of the Santa Monica Mountains and Pacific Ocean. Adjacent to the ground floor entry is a laundry with study and vending areas and an outside patio, creating a student brassiere environment.