Kayte Long peruses the high-rise views from Mesa Court Towers, which include the newly painted anteater mascot on the water tank and the athletic fields. Steve Zylius / UCI

“It’s nice,” says Tiffany Cha, biological sciences major from Fresno.

“It’s really nice,” says D.J. Vaughan, an education major from Riverside.

“It’s amazing,” declares Matthew Gavilanes, a biological sciences major from Reseda. “It’s super-different than the old part of Mesa Court where we stayed during orientation.  It has more of an industrial, apartment feel.”

Great reviews from freshmen on the first day of move-in to the six-floor Mesa Court Towers – University of California Irvine’s first high-rise dorms.

After rattling wheeled moving bins and suitcases across the cobbled walkways all morning students fortified themselves with double lattes from Taza and sported tired grins. They were even excited about sharing their 250-square-foot rooms with three other roommates.

“I’m used to sharing a room at home,” Cha says.  “It’s fine.”

“I shared a room with my older brother,” adds Gavilanes. “That’s good training for this.”

  1. alt placeholder Kayte Long peruses the high-rise views from Mesa Court Towers, which include the newly painted anteater mascot on the water tank and the athletic fields. Steve Zylius / UCI
  2. alt placeholder An artist’s rendering of Mesa Court Towers depicts UCI’s new 6-story dorms lighting up the night sky. UCI
  3. alt placeholder More than half of the rooms in Mesa Court Towers are quads, which neatly house four freshmen in bunk beds. UCI
  4. alt placeholder A wall of windows connects the inside of The Anteatery dining hall with outdoor patio seating in the center of Mesa Court Towers. Steve Zylius / UCI
  5. alt placeholder Families help new students with wheeled bins full of personal belongings during move-in day at Mesa Court Towers. Steve Zylius / UCI
  6. alt placeholder A maintenance worker power washes post-construction dust from the sparkling Mesa Court Towers windows in preparation for freshmen residents. Steve Zylius / UCI

Here’s a look at Mesa Court Towers, by the numbers:

250,972: Total square footage

113,573: Square feet of residential rooms

19,975: Square feet of dining area

18,500: Cubic yards of concrete poured during construction

3,253: Square feet of study space, including computer lounge, quiet-study and small-group study rooms

2,906: Square feet of fitness space

1,938: Square feet of recreation area

935: Number of student beds

269: Number of student rooms

250: Square footage of average dorm room

152: Quadruple rooms

149: Bathrooms

102: Triple rooms

86: Feet in height of tallest building

28: Months from awarding of contract to completion

15: Private bathrooms

9: Laundry rooms

9: Communal kitchens

9: Great rooms

3: Double rooms

1: New bridge connecting Mesa Court to the UCI Student Center