Named after the river in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Middle Earth at the University of California in Irvine is the newest student housing aimed at attracting on-campus living and community engagement. The centrally located facility is a two-tower concrete development with a shared base. Middle Earth adds about 495 beds, a new dining commons, community study spaces on each floor, a fitness center, recreational facilities, and administrative offices.

DCI was the primary structural engineer and developed the project in an 11-week long design-build competition with the general contractor and architect. Project team design collaboration contributed to increased tenant space and interior spaces receiving more natural daylight and ventilation. DCI’s engineering team designed efficient lateral and gravity framing systems, as well as arranged column layouts to maximize ceiling height.