Big-time Building Boom

Nearly 30,000 students now attend UC Davis, which continues an $800-million capital improvement program with major projects underway at its Davis and downtown Sacramento campuses.

By J.T. Long

Construction projects are increasing along with enrollment at UC Davis, where 29,637 students enrolled in the fall.

Projects already completed include the $95 million Genome and Biomedical Sciences Building, designed by SmithGroup and with Providence, R.I.-based Gilbane Co. as construction manager, and the $57 million, 146,000-sq.-ft. Sciences Laboratory Building, designed by Portland, Ore.-based Zimmer-Gunsul-Frasca Partnership and with Sacramento-based Howard S. Wright Construction as construction manager.

The $61-million Robert Mondavi Institute for Food and Wine Science Center will include three buildings totaling 130,000 sq. ft. Livermore, Calif.-based Evans Brothers Inc. was scheduled to complete site preparation in December. Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership designed the concrete-framed center (photo of model courtesy of UC Davis).

Also completed is the $34 million Tercero Housing and Dining Complex, designed by San Francisco-based BAR Architects and with Woodland-based Broward Construction and the Sacramento office of Turner Construction Co. as construction managers.

Along with the completed jobs, there is a total of $800 million in projects in some phase of development, according to Allen Lowry, senior project manager at UC Davis.

"In the last two years, the amount of construction has been high because of a lot of once-in-a-lifetime projects, like the Mondavi Arts Center," which was made possible by a large gift, Lowry said. "We will be going back to building traditional labs and classrooms-particularly remodels of buildings."

The much anticipated $61 million Robert Mondavi Institute for Food and Wine Science Center will include three buildings totaling 130,000 sq. ft.

Livermore, Calif.-based Evans Brothers Inc. was scheduled to complete site preparation in December. Contracts will be awarded early this year. Architect Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership of Portland, Ore., designed the concrete frame center.

Other projects under construction include the Multi-Use Stadium, a $30 million facility with 10,000 seats (expandable to 30,000) for football, soccer and lacrosse; and the West Entry Parking Structure, a $35 million, 1,500-car facility. The stadium's architect is Ellerbe Becket Inc. of Minneapolis and the general contractor is McGuire and Hester of Oakland; the parking facility was designed by Redwood City-based Watry Design and the GC is Sacramento-based Harbison-Mahony-Higgins Builders.

With all the current projects on campus, "the big challenge is to manage material costs, which can be unpredictable these days," said Clayton Halliday, director of architecture, UC Davis Office of Architects and Engineers.

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Meanwhile, in downtown Sacramento, the UC Davis Medical Center Health System is in the midst of $500 million of improvements and additions, including a $282-million Surgical and Emergency Services Pavilion and a $51-million Davis Tower (phases three and four).

San Francisco-based Swinerton Builders is the construction manager for the 470,000-sq.-ft. pavilion building, designed by San Francisco-based Chong Partners Architecture to include a new emergency room, surgical intensive-care unit and operating rooms. It should be completed by April 2008.

The Davis Tower project, which will complete the final four shelled floors of the facility, is scheduled for completion in December.

Back on the Davis campus, a pair of buildings designed to help one of the nation's oldest veterinary schools maintain its certification are both almost halfway complete.

In April 2004, Tulsa, Okla.-based Flintco Inc. was awarded the contract for the $77-million, 164,000-sq.-ft., five-story Veterinary Medical Building 3A and the $27-million, 55,000-sq.-ft. Veterinary Medicine Instructional Facility.

Portland, Ore.-based SRG Partnership designed the Veterinary Medical Building 3A to allow for teaching and office space along with a research tower and clinical labs. The animal autopsy or necropsy room will include oversize entrances and overhead cranes to accommodate large animals along with a digester to liquefy, pasteurize and sanitize animal remains.

Joseph Dickson, left, project manager at UC Davis, and Dan Knickerbocker, project manager for Flintco, are overseeing construction of the 164,000-sq.-ft., Veterinary Medical Building 3A and the 55,000-sq.-ft. Veterinary Medicine Instructional Facility (photo by J,T. Long).

The building had to meet strict biosafety sterilization code requirements, including the ability to seal off all electrical and stainless steel casework to accommodate the need to wash everything down frequently. The electrical, airflow (some ducts were as large as 6 ft. in diameter) and piping needs meant the contractor and subcontractor had to work together closely to ensure everything fit in the small overhead spaces.

"All of the mechanical was carefully coordinated to ensure proper installation," said Dan Knickerbocker, Flintco project manager.

Joseph Dickson, senior project manager at UC Davis, said that because of the microscopic research needs, "the building was reinforced using brace frames to ensure minimal vibration."

The Veterinary Medicine Instructional Facility is a two-story classroom complex that will replace cramped and aging facilities.

The instructional facility design, also by SRG Partnership, is already in the running for a sustainability award because of the energy efficiency features and use of recycled casework materials, according to Lowry.

The pair of buildings and its connecting plaza is on schedule for completion by the end of 2006.

Lowry said as many as 10 more veterinary buildings will be replaced in the near future.

"Some of these buildings date back to 1949," said Lowry. "We were having trouble maintaining certification because of decrepit facilities."