Demand for housing near major universities continues to shape multifamily development in high-density college markets. Gilbane Development has opened Pique, a purpose-built student housing community located a few blocks from the University of California, Berkeley campus.
Pique is located at 2587 Telegraph Ave. and is designed to accommodate more than 480 UC Berkeley students during its initial move-in cycle.
The residential development includes multiple apartment configurations, with four-, five- and six-bedroom layouts offering features such as additional washers and dryers, double refrigerators and expanded pantry storage. Units also include in-unit laundry, stainless steel appliances, stone countertops and living-room televisions. Select apartments have private balconies.
The development includes bedroom and bathroom arrangements intended to provide greater privacy within shared housing configurations.
Pique includes indoor and outdoor spaces intended for studying, fitness and resident interaction. Amenities include a fitness and yoga center, outdoor study terraces, a glass-enclosed outdoor study room, two rooftop decks, a community terrace and a ground-floor coworking lounge.
Private study pods are located throughout the building, while smart food lockers provide additional resident services. Bike and scooter storage with charging stations are also included.
The project adds approximately 2,900 square feet of ground-floor retail space along Telegraph Avenue, placing residential and commercial uses within the same development.
Pique is part of Gilbane Development's national student housing strategy with CBRE Investment Management. The partnership is focused on developing purpose-built student communities in university markets.
The Berkeley project demonstrates the continued use of purpose-built housing to serve students near major higher education campuses. For developers and construction owners, projects in established university districts require consideration of site constraints, residential density, shared amenities, transportation access and integration with surrounding commercial corridors.
The opening adds more than 480 student housing beds near UC Berkeley while introducing retail space and shared residential amenities along Telegraph Avenue.
For developers and contractors, the project illustrates the scale and complexity of purpose-built student housing, where residential planning must balance private living areas with shared study, recreation and community spaces.
Source: Gilbane.
