Rushing to and from classes, many Bruins develop a good feel for the layout of the campus, but what about the views from above? Sometimes, when students want a break from the hustle and bustle of the forest floor, they might look upwards for a breath of fresh air. From rooftops to elevated terraces, UCLA offers many such spaces for students to enjoy.

Views

Broad Art Center, eighth floor

An eight-story building that serves as headquarters for the Department of Art, the south-facing Broad Art Center at the northern edge of campus offers a spectacular view of UCLA and beyond. Elevators on its north wing can reach the eighth floor, and the white balcony is just a door away.

The university and city sunbathe under a blue Los Angeles sky. Bunche Hall to the left, Royce Hall in the center and Santa Monica to the right, the eighth floor of the Broad Art Center offers one of the best vantage points in all of campus. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.

Mathematical Sciences Building, ninth floor

The roof of the Mathematical Sciences Building on South Campus is home to several telescopes, but it also offers a nearly unobstructed view of everything that lies west of UCLA: nearby apartment buildings, the city of Santa Monica and everything in between. On a clear day, if they are lucky, students might see the blue expanse of the Pacific Ocean glittering in the distance as well.

The elevator to the ninth floor of the Mathematical Sciences Building opens directly to the three telescopes on the eastern roof. If students know where to look, they might catch a glimpse of the three white domes from the court below. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.

The north side of the Mathematical Sciences roof offers a sprawling view of campus from above. Part of this view is Kerckhoff Hall and Ackerman Union, as lit by warm evening lights. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.

Tables

Anderson School of Management, various floors

The graduate business school on North Campus is sprinkled with outdoor tables. If students want a quiet place to work, they can visit the first floor of Gold Hall just outside the Executive Dining Room, or the fourth floor of the Collins Center.

A student takes a call outside Gold Hall in the shade of bordering trees. Between events, the patio around the Executive Dining Room opens up to become a quiet study space of brick and greenery. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.

John Wooden Center, second floor

Although most Bruins use the John Wooden Center primarily as a gym, the building’s second floor boasts a quiet succulent garden with umbrellaed tables. Students can bring their work with them, but if they seek to relax, the Graptopetalum paraguayense and Aeonium arboreum are available for contemplation. Watching the happenings in Bruin Plaza from above may be a therapeutic exercise as well.

A row of tables bordered by succulents overlook Bruin Walk from the John Wooden Center. Other tables lie around the corner, making the second floor of center a great spot to enjoy some solitude while watching the students interact below. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.

The work of Mary Coleman, the John Wooden Succulent Garden decorates the second floor of the John Wooden Center and provides a botanical retreat for students at the very center of campus. The garden is directly across Bruin Plaza from the UCLA Store at Ackerman Union. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.

Physics and Astronomy Building, third floor

Tables with sufficient shade may be hard to find in the early afternoon of a sunny Los Angeles day, but the outdoor area on the third floor of the Physics and Astronomy Building has many. Under the shade structure, Bruins can enjoy the view of Powell Library and Kaplan Hall to the north and Knudsen Hall to the east.

Students study on the Physics and Astronomy Building patio, located on the east end of the third floor past a small kitchenette. Filled with red tanbark in the center and furnished with tables to the north, students can usually find seats open in the shade. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.

Engineering VI, third floor

Easily accessible by elevator, the third floor of the Engineering VI building opens to a large patio with shade from the surrounding engineering buildings. Sprinkled with benches, tables and plants throughout, students can enjoy the outside air as they catch up on emails and relax.

After an afternoon of studying and chatting, students slowly disperse as the computer science department prepares for its weekly Tea Time with its graduate students. The third floor patio of the Engineering VI building is nestled in the botanical quad formed by Engineering VI and Engineering V, a perfect place to catch up with friends. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.

In the evenings, lights illuminate the Engineering VI patio and a cool breeze blows through the leaves. Many offices stay lit as the day slowly draws to a close. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.

Air

Anderson School of Management, fourth floor

At the northern edge of campus, the roof terrace on the fourth floor of the Anderson complex overlooks Anderson Cafe in the Marion Anderson Courtyard on one side and the path to Janss Steps and Kerckhoff Hall on the other. Students might also catch a glimpse of the green hills that surround UCLA between the brick buildings. Accessible by elevators from Gold Hall, Entrepreneurs Hall and Cornell Hall, the terrace is a great spot to take a pause and enjoy a pleasant day.

A worker walks between Entrepreneurs Hall and Cornell Hall in the morning light. The circular terrace weaves between the two buildings and continues to the right, eventually connecting with Gold Hall to the west. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.

Boelter Hall, ninth floor

Connected to the roof of the Mathematical Sciences Building is the roof of Boelter Hall. It houses classrooms and offices, whose awnings provide welcome shade on sunny days, with restroom access. In the hum of generators from nearby rooftops, the Court of Sciences on South Campus lies below.

A group of doctorate students meet on the roof of Boelter Hall to discuss research. Although many rooms on the ninth floor host discussion sections for a spectrum of subjects, others serve as offices for UCLA's statistics department. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife. — A group of doctorate students meet on the roof of Boelter Hall to discuss research. Although many rooms on the ninth floor host discussion sections for a spectrum of subjects, others serve as offices for UCLA’s statistics department. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.

The southwest side of the roof of Boelter Hall opens up to the California NanoSystems Institute, as well as Parking Structure 9 and Engineering IV to the right. The distant hills appear to emerge from the horizon on a hazy day. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.

To the east of the roof of Boelter Hall is the Court of Sciences, the very center of south campus. The five-story Geology Building can be seen across the court and the skyscrapers of Los Angeles lie in the background. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.

Activities

Ackerman Union, first floor

Around the back of Ackerman Union is the Bruin Reflection Space, an open place for students of any denomination to enjoy. In the evenings, students can see the path to the Luskin Conference Center illuminated by warm lamplight in the dusk glow.

Walking between Ackerman Union and Kerckhoff Hall, students might encounter an open space shaded by a pair of sunbrellas. Many Bruins will come to this space to find spiritual relief, and it is a place available to students at all times during the day, week and year. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.

The sun sets behind the Luskin Conference Center, and the trees partially conceal the glass and brick of Engineering VI in the foreground. Accessible from the Bruin Reflection Space or from stairs directly below, the southwest corner of Ackerman Union overlooks the turnaround in Westwood Plaza. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.

Mathematical Sciences Building, eighth floor

The planetarium sits atop the Mathematical Sciences Building against a backdrop of South Campus, but here, one might instead turn their attention to the sky. Accessible by elevators to the eighth floor, the planetarium hosts free showings every Wednesday.

The planetarium wakes up from its afternoon nap at dusk. The elevator at the main entrance of the Mathematical Sciences Building will bring students to the eighth floor, from where they can follow the planetarium signs to step out into the open air and greet MS 8224. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.

There are dozens of open spaces scattered across campus to help students study and relax. On a day when UCLA’s libraries and lounges do not hold their usual appeal, feel free to check these spaces out!

Elevated open spaces at UCLA