UC Merced Downtown Campus Center

The new 67,400-square-foot Downtown Campus Center is the University’s first building in downtown Merced. Formerly a vacant lot, this .85-acre parcel was purchased by the university in 2014.

Heller Manus partnered with CannonDesign to create a new, innovative home for various administration and staff members. The university hopes that having a presence downtown will lead to more collaboration with local and regional industry, and provide much-needed space for the campus’s budding entrepreneurs to hone their ideas.

The building is Net-Zero ready and utilizes many sustainable building practices and designs. California’s Central Valley is known for its hot days and cool nights, which the building design takes advantage of. The building is cooled via natural ventilation at night while being shaded from the harsh sun during the day. The exterior design reflects the direction of the sun and provides daylight but reduces heat gain. The interior features two light wells to encourage the use of natural daylighting. While the building currently meets standards for LEED Platinum, the University is expected to seek Net Zero certification in a few years.