The UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture, in collaboration with cityLAB, has officially opened the BruinHub, a first-of-its-kind space serving UCLA students facing long commutes or housing insecurity. Located in the John Wooden Center, the BruinHub will be a 24/7 space with facilities for students to nap, rest, study, store belongings, and wait out traffic.

The design of the BruinHub centers on Study Pods; prefabricated units constructed from machine-cut OSB and finished with vibrant-colored fabrics. Each pod contains a flexible bench which can be used for sleeping or studying, as well as a worktop, reading lamp, storage space, and power outlet. The wider facility also includes WiFi, charging stations, a food prep station, personal storage, and a hub for distributing important campus information and services. The hub has been designed to meet COVID-based safety standards for sanitizing and social distancing.

Video courtesy of UCLA

The initiative is the result of years of research and advocacy by cityLAB, UCLA Student Affairs, the UCLA Community Programs Office, the First Year Experience Office, and UCLA Basic Needs, who worked together under the banner of the “BruinHub Coalition.” The space was also designed with the input of students experiencing extreme commutes and housing insecurity, in order to understand common routines and needs among the student population.

Video courtesy of UCLA

As the COVID-19 pandemic causes more students to live further from campus, the university expects the BruinHub to offer respite to the growing number of students facing long commutes during the new academic year. The project was further informed by the results of a 2020 study conducted by cityLAB on groups of UCLA students, which found that 43% of students living off-campus were facing housing insecurity, 38% were experiencing food insecurity, and 15% were experiencing homelessness. 

In addition, the survey found that 78% of students were exhibiting at least mild anxiety, 36% were serving as family caretakers, and 63% were not able to concentrate on schoolwork. 46% of students also reported experiencing a lack of consistent WiFi. The strain of transport, housing, and disruption has caused 32% of respondents to consider withdrawing or deferring from their course. The university sees the BruinHub as part of a broader strategy to address these concerns through the use of on-campus facilities and resources, to reduce the number of students seeking rest in cars or temporary living arrangements. 

The completed BruinHub was launched on September 23rd, and will open fully to students on September 27th.