2024 USGBC-CA Green Building Awards
Merit in Energy/ Operational Carbon
The State of California is taking some of the boldest steps in the U.S. toward decarbonizing buildings across the state and they are using their own projects as proof points. The 1.25M SF May Lee State Office Complex, a new home for 5,000+ state employees in Sacramento, is the largest all-electric, zero-carbon workplace campus in the U.S., providing a case study for how a campus of this scale and complexity can be decarbonized by a holistic approach to minimizing carbon footprint.
Using an integrated approach to sustainability, the design leverages interrelated, high-performance strategies to exceed the State’s targets for energy and water use within a healthy and productive workplace environment. Decarbonization strategies inform the design holistically, from the envelope, structural, and MEP systems, to the use of shading, water conservation strategies, and materials selection. The project is also designed to achieve net-zero energy and carbon for the entire site via green energy procured through SMUD’s SolarShares Program. With these elements, the project will exceed Title 24 by more than 15% and achieve the lowest practicable EUI.
Uniting various agencies within the California Department of General Services, this is the first development in the revitalized River District – an area of Sacramento being actively transformed from its industrial past into a modern, vibrant neighborhood adjacent to the downtown core. The
campus features four mid-rise office buildings, a rich amenities program, lush landscaping, a new parking structure, and ample opportunities for micro- mobility and public transit. Together, these elements enhance and support connections between occupants, buildings, and the evolving urban fabric of Sacramento’s River District.
The campus honors and reflects the neighborhood’s rich, historic context, while shifting the paradigm for what is possible in a state office building. The architectural expression of the four mid-rise office buildings conveys the significance of the civic functions housed within, while being authentic to place by reflecting the district’s eclectic, industrial character through the massing, façade design, and material choices.
The buildings also share a design language and draw from the same family of material, color, and pattern combinations to ensure each has a recognizable and memorable presence. The modulation of scale and varied, yet complimentary, design aesthetic across the campus creates a sense of individuality without forgoing architectural continuity—a response to the character of the developing neighborhood and the community-building goals of the California Department of General Services.
The scale of the large campus is broken down by a series of bridges and walkways that traverse the campus from west to east, strengthening connectivity between the four buildings. On the north side of campus, a three-story bridge links the northwest and northeast towers at levels five, six, and seven, while the covered walkway on the south side of campus links the east amenity podium to the west amenity podium on the second floors. To accommodate state employees’ needs around the clock, the amenity podium offers a large childcare center, a full-service coffee shop, a fitness center, and expansive indoor- outdoor dining hall.