UC Merced recently completed the third phase of its 2020 Project, which the university asserts is the largest public-private partnership social infrastructure project in U.S. history.
The $1.2 billion project on 219 acres in California’s San Joaquin Valley initially started construction in October 2016. It adds 11 buildings and 1.2 million gross sf to the campus, including wet and computational labs, student housing, 1,570 parking spaces, a conference center, a greenhouse, and recreational fields. Two more buildings are planned for future phases.
This is the only higher education campus in the nation where all buildings are LEED certified. The 2020 Project buildings are certified LEED Platinum. The 2020 Project is designed to achieve "Triple Zero" sustainability—zero net energy, zero landfill waste, and zero net greenhouse gas emissions. It’s the first public research university in the U.S. to achieve carbon neutrality.
The 2020 Project supports enrollment of 10,000 students. The project gave UC Merced the opportunity to address its current and future space needs. Students and faculty were invited during the design phase to help develop a process for managing the use of UC Merced’s physical facilities to further its teaching, research, and public service mission.
MULTIPLE ARCHITECTS INVOLVED
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, which created UC Merced’s original master plan in 2002 and eight other campus buildings, master-planned the 2020 Project, a design-build effort with lead contractor Webcor Construction and the developer and equity member Plenary Group (Canada).
“This on-time, on-budget completion of the 2020 Project shows that incredible things can happen when all stakeholders work together with a true spirit of partnership,” said Dale Bonner, executive chairman of Plenary.
SOM was the design architect on the 2020 Project’s research labs, dining hall, loading dock, and greenhouse. Page Southerland Page and Mahlum Architects designed the student housing. HOK designed the student life facility, Early Childhood Education Center, Wellness Center, and competition swimming pool. The academic classroom and student enrollment center architect was WRNS Studio. Arup North America provided infrastructure and engineering services, and Johnson Controls was the lead for operations and maintenance. Atelier Ten provided the LEED certification service and was in charge of Sustainability and energy modeling for the 11 new buildings.
The project delivery team included UC Merced’s Physical Operations, Planning, and Development department, WT Partnership (project and contract management), AECOM (engineering advisor), Woods Bagot (design advisor for lab and academic space), and Crawford Architects (design advisor for student life and housing).
A VARIETY OF NEW BUILDINGS
UC Merced completed its 2020 Project in three phases. It was essentially finished last fall.
The 2020 Project’s academic program includes 373,400 assignable sf of research space, instructional space, and academic office space. The amounts and types of space are tied to the anticipated distribution of faculty members among disciplines, classroom utilization, and a modular approach to office-space needs.
Integrated throughout the campus, the Student Life program includes health and psychological counseling facilities, early childhood education, enrollment, dining, and recreational facilities that support, attract, and retain students. The 2020 Project encourages innovations that facilitate shared student‐life spaces and one‐stop, student‐centered services. It totals 115,500 assignable sf plus 420,570 gross sf of outdoor space, including athletic fields.
The student housing program is designed to address existing and future demand for on-campus housing. It includes 289,600 assignable sf and adds more than 1,700 beds to the campus inventory.
The campus has more room to grow, as needed.
Beyond the 2020 Project delivery, several master plan-only facilities have been sited, including an arena, welcome center, conference center, and expansion to the Academic Leadership Office, among others. A 2,500-sf Research Greenhouse is strategically located so it can be expanded as funding becomes available in the coming years. The greenhouse currently provides for a variety of research opportunities, including food and water security, biodiversity, climate change, renewable energy, and ecosystems—all of which supports UCM’s mission to prioritize sustainability.
Related Stories
| Jan 8, 2014
Strengthened sprinkler rules could aid push for mid-rise wood structures in Canada
Strengthened sprinkler regulations proposed for the 2015 National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) could help a movement to allow midrise wood structures.
Smart Buildings | Jan 7, 2014
9 mega redevelopments poised to transform the urban landscape
Slowed by the recession—and often by protracted negotiations—some big redevelopment plans are now moving ahead. Here’s a sampling of nine major mixed-use projects throughout the country.
| Dec 17, 2013
Nation's largest net-zero K-12 school among winners of 2013 Best of Green Schools award
The Lady Bird Johnson Middle School in Irving, Texas, was named a winner of USGBC's annual award, along with nine other schools, individuals and communities working toward the common goal of healthy, high-performing learning places.
| Dec 17, 2013
IBM's five tech-driven innovation predictions for the next five years [infographics]
Smart classrooms, DNA-based medical care, and wired cities are among the technology-related innovations identified by IBM researchers for the company's 5 in 5 report.
| Dec 13, 2013
Safe and sound: 10 solutions for fire and life safety
From a dual fire-CO detector to an aspiration-sensing fire alarm, BD+C editors present a roundup of new fire and life safety products and technologies.
| Dec 10, 2013
16 great solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors
From a crowd-funded smart shovel to a why-didn’t-someone-do-this-sooner scheme for managing traffic in public restrooms, these ideas are noteworthy for creative problem-solving. Here are some of the most intriguing innovations the BD+C community has brought to our attention this year.
| Dec 9, 2013
Tips for designing higher education's newest building type: the learning commons
In this era of scaled-down budgets, maximized efficiencies, new learning methods and social media’s domination of face time, college and university campuses are gravitating toward a new space type: the learning commons.
| Dec 5, 2013
Exclusive BD+C survey shows reaction to Sandy Hook tragedy
More than 60% of AEC professionals surveyed by BD+C said their firms experienced heightened interest in security measures from school districts they worked with.
| Nov 27, 2013
Exclusive survey: Revenues increased at nearly half of AEC firms in 2013
Forty-six percent of the respondents to an exclusive BD+C survey of AEC professionals reported that revenues had increased this year compared to 2012, with another 24.2% saying cash flow had stayed the same.
| Nov 27, 2013
Wonder walls: 13 choices for the building envelope
BD+C editors present a roundup of the latest technologies and applications in exterior wall systems, from a tapered metal wall installation in Oklahoma to a textured precast concrete solution in North Carolina.
