An inside look at living, studying and working at Cal Poly.

Inside Cal Poly

Original Source: BDC Network



Reporter: Novid Parsi



Date: July 1, 2025



Link: <a href="https://www.bdcnetwork.com/home/news/55300726/cal-poly-takes-a-modular-approach-to-deliver-4200-beds-in-nine-new-student-housing-buildings">https://www.bdcnetwork.com/home/news/55300726/cal-poly-takes-a-modular-approach-to-deliver-4200-beds-in-nine-new-student-housing-buildings</a>



In San Luis Obispo, Calif., California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) has commenced work on a student housing development that will provide 4,200 beds in nine new buildings, enabling all second-year students to live on campus.



With design by Steinberg Hart Architects, the $1 billion-plus project marks the first large-scale use of modular construction within the California State University system, according to FullStack Modular, which will manufacture the units offsite.



FullStack Modular’s volumetric modular system, which is all steel and fully integrated, will reduce costs, construction time, and environmental impact while maintaining superior quality, according to the company’s press statement. By taking a modular approach, Cal Poly aims to address the challenges of rising construction costs and the state’s lack of affordable housing.

Cal Poly Takes a Modular Approach to Deliver 4,200 Beds in Nine New Student Housing Buildings

Original Source: Rebusiness Online



Date: Feb. 13, 2025 



Link: <a href="https://rebusinessonline.com/california-polytechnic-state-university-to-begin-4200-bed-residence-hall-project/">https://rebusinessonline.com/california-polytechnic-state-university-to-begin-4200-bed-residence-hall-project/</a>



SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIF. — California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) is set to begin construction on a 4,200-bed residence hall project on the university’s campus in San Luis Obispo. The development will include nine buildings offering suite-style units for second-year students.



“Affordable housing is such a big problem — especially on the West Coast — and we need to think differently about how we approach housing and continue to improve the process,” says Mike McCormick, vice president of facilities management and development at Cal Poly. “We’ve assembled a team of professionals committed to rethinking how we deliver housing and FullStack Modular’s innovative approach is a huge part of that.”

California Polytechnic State University to Begin 4,200-Bed Residence Hall Project

Original Source: Archinect



Reporter: Josh Niland



Date: Feb. 7, 2025



Link: <a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150464171/cal-poly-slo-to-begin-largest-modular-student-housing-construction-in-the-u-s">https://archinect.com/news/article/150464171/cal-poly-slo-to-begin-largest-modular-student-housing-construction-in-the-u-s</a>



A modular student housing project for the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, that will help students who have been displaced by the recent Los Angeles Fires, is about to begin.



The Steinberg Hart-designed project is the product of a new partnership between FullStack Modular and the California State University system, which promotes it as being the &#8220;largest modular [student housing] project in the U.S.&#8221; It will also become the first large-scale modular construction in the CSU system.



Manufacturing for the project will begin in late winter 2025, yielding nine suite-style buildings with a total of 4,200 new beds. California is currently facing a student housing crisis affecting more than 400,000 students statewide.

Cal Poly SLO to Begin Largest Modular Student Housing Construction in the U.S.

Original Source: Multi-Housing News



Reporter: Vicentiu Fusea



Date: Feb. 7, 2025



Link: <a href="https://www.multihousingnews.com/fullstack-cal-poly-to-develop-4200-beds/">https://www.multihousingnews.com/fullstack-cal-poly-to-develop-4200-beds/</a>



California Polytechnic State University has partnered with FullStack Modular for the development of 4,200 new student housing beds in San Luis Obispo, Calif.



The entire housing program, encompassing both the construction of nine modular buildings and the refurbishment of existing halls, is scheduled to come online by 2030.



Partners on the development include design firm Steinberg Hart Architects and Whiting-Turner as design-build contractor. The residence halls are built according to LEED Gold certification.

FullStack, Cal Poly Plan 4,200 Beds

Original Source: The Tribune



Reporter: Joan Lynch



Date: Feb. 6, 2025



Link: <a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/education/cal-poly-university/article299721549.html">https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/education/cal-poly-university/article299721549.html</a>



Cal Poly’s plan to bring around 4,200 new beds to campus to house more of its student population is taking shape.



First approved by the California State University Board of Trustees as part of Cal Poly’s billion-dollar Future Housing Plan, the 4,200-unit buildout will use a modular construction model from FullStack Modular to fabricate and install nine new eight- and nine-story buildings within the next five years — the first development of its kind not only for Cal Poly but the California State University system.



Buildings are expected to go up quickly, with off-site manufacturing reducing cost, construction time and local environmental and air quality burdens.

Cal Poly Releases First Look at Incoming 4,200-unit Modular Dorm Layout. See the Design

Original Source: KCBX  



Reporter: Amanda Wernik



Date: Feb. 6, 2025



Link: <a href="https://www.kcbx.org/infrastructure-housing-and-development/2025-02-06/new-modular-dorms-to-bring-4-200-new-beds-to-cal-poly">https://www.kcbx.org/infrastructure-housing-and-development/2025-02-06/new-modular-dorms-to-bring-4-200-new-beds-to-cal-poly</a>



Cal Poly is adding more than 4,000 new on-campus beds through a partnership with manufacturing company FullStack Modular.



The university plans to build nine new dorms – each eight and nine stories tall – over the next five years on the current K1, K2 and R1 parking lots.



The new dorms will offer second-year students suite-style living, with three double bedrooms, two bathrooms and a shared living space.



Cal Poly said it expects manufacturing to start later this year, with the first buildings opening next fall.



The project is part of a $1 billion housing plan that also includes renovations to Cal Poly’s over 60-year-old red brick residence halls.

New Modular Dorms to Bring 4,200 New Beds to Cal Poly

Original Source: PR Newswire  



Date: Feb. 6, 2025



Link: <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fullstack-modular-leads-the-charge-in-innovative-modular-construction-for-cal-polys-transformative-student-housing-project-302370040.html">https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fullstack-modular-leads-the-charge-in-innovative-modular-construction-for-cal-polys-transformative-student-housing-project-302370040.html</a> 



FullStack Modular, a leader in the design, manufacture, and construction of mid- to high-rise buildings, hotels, and student housing, is proud to partner with California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) on one of the most ambitious student housing projects in California. The initiative will bring 4,200 new beds to the San Luis Obispo campus, addressing the critical need for affordable, sustainable student housing.



FullStack Modular&#8217;s advanced volumetric modular construction system will manufacture units off-site in a controlled environment. This process reduces costs, construction time, and environmental impact while maintaining superior quality. The Cal Poly project marks the first large-scale use of modular construction within the California State University (CSU) system, setting a new standard for student housing nationwide.

FULLSTACK MODULAR LEADS THE CHARGE IN INNOVATIVE MODULAR CONSTRUCTION FOR CAL POLY’S TRANSFORMATIVE STUDENT HOUSING PROJECT

Original Source: The Tribune



Reporter: Joan Lynch



Date: Feb. 6, 2025



Link: <a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/education/cal-poly-university/article299721549.html">https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/education/cal-poly-university/article299721549.html</a>



Cal Poly’s plan to bring around 4,200 new beds to campus to house more of its student population is taking shape.



First approved by the California State University Board of Trustees as part of Cal Poly’s billion-dollar Future Housing Plan, the 4,200-unit buildout will use a modular construction model from FullStack Modular to fabricate and install nine new eight- and nine-story buildings within the next five years — the first development of its kind not only for Cal Poly but the California State University system.



Buildings are expected to go up quickly, with off-site manufacturing reducing cost, construction time and local environmental and air quality burdens.

At a glance, moving a few drops of milk from a truck doesn’t seem so dangerous. But to one group of seniors, it was a lawsuit waiting to happen.



Cal Poly Creamery staff members can now rest easy after the construction of a new safety enhancement project. A group of fourth-year bioresources and agricultural engineering (BRAE) students, with the help of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), fixed a critical flaw in the process of milk inspection.



In the time it takes for milk to leave Cal Poly cows and arrive at your kitchen table, there are many steps that creamery staffers take behind the scenes. One of them is extracting milk samples from large trucks in order to determine if the product meets health code regulations. Only then will the creamery use it to make its renowned dairy products.



Extracting these samples used to involve a lengthy procedure. First, Cal Poly Creamery student assistants climbed to the top of a 10-foot truck using a ladder. At the top, they used a sterile ladle to collect a milk sample from the truck’s hatch. Then, the assistants descended the ladder, all the while making sure the sample was secure.



When the BRAE students first observed this extracting procedure, they noticed several steps that put the creamery assistants at risk. They immediately consulted EHS and went to work to create a safer, more efficient design.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.sanity.io/images/vm929t16/production/c7fe1a5cb297a5efaa3da9cebaa1f0207d7a93a5-800x722.jpg?w=675&amp;h=609&amp;fit=crop" alt="Cal Poly Dairy Truck"/></figure>



Now, the creamery benefits from a much more sound procedure. There is a designated truck pull-up spot with a bridge built conveniently above it. Instead of a ladder, there are stairs — complete with handrails and guardrails — that lead staffers directly to a platform for easy access of the truck’s top hatch.



To accomplish this project, students enlisted the help of Environmental Health Specialist Tim Hastings. Hastings played a role in the design process, and in helping the students assure each element of the project met California building code requirements as well as California Occupational Safety and Health regulations.



Thanks to quick-thinking students and a little help from EHS, Cal Poly Creamery employees can breathe a sigh of relief during the extraction process, and can now focus on making delicious dairy products.

Tag: College

Cal Poly Takes a Modular Approach to Deliver 4,200 Beds in Nine New Student Housing Buildings

California Polytechnic State University to Begin 4,200-Bed Residence Hall Project

Cal Poly SLO to Begin Largest Modular Student Housing Construction in the U.S.

FullStack, Cal Poly Plan 4,200 Beds

Cal Poly Releases First Look at Incoming 4,200-unit Modular Dorm Layout. See the Design

New Modular Dorms to Bring 4,200 New Beds to Cal Poly

FULLSTACK MODULAR LEADS THE CHARGE IN INNOVATIVE MODULAR CONSTRUCTION FOR CAL POLY’S TRANSFORMATIVE STUDENT HOUSING PROJECT

Cal Poly Releases First Look at Incoming 4,200-unit Modular Dorm Layout. See the Design

Student Safety Enhancement Project Constructed in Cal Poly Creamery