Page Part of Team Charged with University of California Merced Campus Expansion

The announcement of a proposed campus expansion of the University of California Merced (UC Merced) is attracting attention. Despite being the youngest of ten campuses in the UC system and the first research university to open in the 21st century, UC Merced already faces physical constraints in serving its student population, which is expected to grow exponentially. The university is planning a smart, innovative expansion and Page is pleased to be part of the team chosen to realize this goal.

As a member of the Plenary Properties Merced development team tasked with the expansion, Page is a part of the student housing team designing a new section of the campus that will create communities at multiple levels--from dormitory rooms to community spaces and from pedestrian streets to large outdoor plazas. Page has extensive experience with mixed-use student housing projects, a growing trend that UC Merced is joining. The new student housing buildings will include retail spaces, academic classrooms and student-life programing within the ground floor of each building.

In keeping with Page’s commitment to the Architecture 2030 Challenge of achieving carbon-neutral design, the project will incorporate the firm’s best practices—from smart site design through strategic material selection. The entire campus expansion project will meet a “Triple Net Zero” goal of zero net energy usage, zero landfill waste and zero net greenhouse gas emissions.

Page is a nationally recognized expert in the design of state-of-the-art student-life facilities such as student recreation centers, student unions, dining halls and conference and event/venue facilities. Since 2002, the firm has programmed, master planned and designed over 15,000 beds of student housing in residence hall living/learning communities. Our facilities have proven records of positively influencing students’ experiences through improved academic performance and relationships. Additionally, Page Principal Barbara Maloney served as Campus Planner for the initial 2002 UC Merced Long Range Development Plan. The LRDP established the vision for the campus, articulating the underlying ideas that established its siting, layout, and character and that have informed this campus expansion.

To see a sneak peek of UC Merced 2020, watch the below video created by UC Merced that explains its vision and how the project team was selected: 

Plenary Properties Merced brings a wealth of experience with proven, effective approaches to leadership, communication, project oversight, operation and management as well as life-cycle management and complex issue resolution on P3 projects in North America. The PPM team includes the following organizations: Plenary Group, lead developer, equity provider and financial arranger; WEBCOR Construction LP, lead contractor; Skidmore Owings & Merrill Inc., lead campus planner; and Johnson Controls Inc., lead operations and management firm.

For more information about this announcement, visit the UC Merced website here. To learn more about the project, click here.