Cal Poly Transforms Student Housing with Modular Construction

Cal Poly is pioneering the future of student housing through innovative modular construction, addressing critical housing shortages with speed and efficiency. The groundbreaking Student Housing project at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo is the CSU system’s first modular housing initiative.

Driven by a sweeping $1 billion+, ten-year Future Housing Program, this initiative will deliver 3,300 beds across several multi‑story buildings, alongside major renovations to six existing residence halls. This project leverages prefabricated modular construction to dramatically reduce build times, campus disruption, and environmental impact while maintaining high-quality standards.

Each residence hall room and communal space will be fabricated at FullStack Modular’s offsite factory in Carlson, California, then brought to campus and installed on-site. Every unit is manufactured in controlled factory conditions, ensuring consistent quality and reducing weather-related delays. The result is a cost-effective, sustainable solution that can be replicated across campus developments.

The continual success of the Cal Poly housing project demonstrates the potential of prefabricated construction in higher education. As modular building continues to revolutionize the construction industry, projects like this position Cal Poly at the forefront of innovative housing solutions, setting new standards for efficiency and quality in student accommodation.

Thank you to our partners Steinberg Hart, The Whiting Turner Contracting Company, and FullStack Modular.

To learn more about this project, click here

Photography credit: Steinberg Hart