DESIGN DRIVEN BY DECARBONIZATION GOALS

The concept for the May Lee State Office Complex is driven by minimizing the development’s carbon footprint. 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.

The three-parcel campus is sited on 17.5 acres at the key intersection of Richards Boulevard and North 7th Street. The River District revitalization plan defines this as the most prominent intersection in the growing neighborhood because of its access to North 7th Street, the conduit from the River District to downtown Sacramento, and its adjacencies to Interstate 5 and Highway 160 via Richards Boulevard. This supports the city’s vision to extend the downtown street grid into the district, laying the groundwork for a mixed-use neighborhood. 

The landscape design supports the project as a civic institution by integrating urban systems—such as grids, mobility, and public life—within a public landscape. The public realm will anchor the project in the community, while also offering state employees ample access to the outdoors.

Sacramento’s tradition of tree-lined streets follows the grid and flows into the site, creating a seamless transition between old and new. A consistent tree canopy bounds the perimeter landscape, which blends the complex harmoniously into the River District and provides an ageless landscape of local flora and fauna. The interior of the development features a series of plazas connected by the north-south Green Pathway that link the Transit Plaza to the north, the central Town Square, and Bannon Street Plaza to the south. The Green Pathway is the main spine that connects the three parcels and allows pedestrians to circulate freely through campus, unifying the site into a single, cohesive whole. Flanked by trees on both sides, the design of the pathway prioritizes the pedestrian experience by providing outdoor shade and comfort year-round.

An Archetype for River District Renewal

The campus honors and reflects the neighborhood’s rich, historic context, while shifting the paradigm for what is possible in a state office building. This includes its progressive, welcoming identity that will delight and inspire occupants and community members alike. 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 four mid-rise buildings share comparable volumes, which have been thoughtfully massed to create a unique and complimentary composition for each. The northeast and southwest buildings are taller at 11 stories, with narrower floorplates, while the northwest and southeast buildings are shorter at eight stories, with deeper floorplates.

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 for daily users and first-time visitors alike. The modulation of scale and varied yet related 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 Design-Build process has proved beneficial for best cost and sustainability outcomes, while also improving speed to market. The curtain wall system is a prime example. The team, including the Department of General Services, Hensel Phelps, and ZGF, collaborated extensively to perfect the proportion of the materials. Using analogue methods to reach the right balance, the curtain wall was configured in a manner that accurately estimated costs, balanced pricing with aesthetic value, and prioritized the project’s net-zero carbon goals.

The three-story walkway linking the northwest and northeast buildings displays an architectural identity inspired by the connecting buildings to form a distinct, yet complementary character. The northwest tower lends its color and architectural language characterized by staggered metal panels and glazing, but its scale is refined to draw visual contrast. With the color of the northeast tower visible from the interior, the walkway blends with the neighboring structures while having a unique identity that celebrates the campus’s connectivity. Likewise, the southwest and southeast buildings are linked by a second level covered walkway across Town Square to provide a weather-protected passageway between the east and west program.

LIFE ON CAMPUS

While primarily a workplace for state employees, the campus features elements that not only makes the campus a desirable work destination, but also reinforces the development’s integration into the neighborhood. Retail space at the northeast corner will activate the complex along the urban edge and encourage pedestrian connection and interaction with the campus. There will also be a café at the south end of campus, which employees and pedestrians can easily access from the adjacent parking garage. 

A suite of amenities lend themselves to improving employees’ quality of life, including on-campus childcare, food service, and a wellness center. The benefits of integrating amenities that meet day-to-day needs of occupants are substantial: the convenience saves employees money, time, and energy.

To enhance transparency, engage the community, and connect occupants to the vibrant plaza, the ground level public lobbies are located along the Green Pathway, which connects to the light rail station to the north and the parking garage to the south. Carrying the individuality of the buildings’ exterior design into the interior, each lobby features a distinct character expressed through unique colors, finishes, and furniture. Not only does this establish continuity in the design, but it provides wayfinding touchpoints to help users navigate campus and celebrate the identity of each tower.

Interconnectivity, flexibility, and maximizing human performance are the cornerstones of the development's high-performance workplace strategy. Designed to comfortably accommodate 4,500 workers, thoughtful planning strategies—such as modular programming, interconnected stairs, intuitive wayfinding, and ample access to daylight—inform flow and function to elevate the workplace experience. The contemporary workplace also provides a variety of integrated amenity spaces, including kitchenettes, conference and flex meeting rooms, and collaboration spaces, to expand functionality, increase productivity, and improve employee health and wellness.

The environmental graphic elements for the workplace and amenities draw inspiration from the local surroundings and encompass three key drivers: paying tribute to the past, growing the present, and cultivating the future – all in effort to plant a seed in the evolving neighborhood of Sacramento as a precedent for it to grow around it in a similarly intelligent and sustainable ways. 

To create a connection with the evolving River District, the biophilic elements in the wayfinding and environmental graphics reflect nature and wildlife. The intention is to infuse the interiors with the benefits of biophilic design, which play an integral role in improving the productivity and well-being of the workplace occupants throughout the office complex.

The wayfinding and environmental graphic elements begin at the arrival points for each building. Intended to emphasize accessibility and visibility, the carefully curated, large-scale custom graphic of the California grizzly bear in each lobby helps users navigate the complex and celebrate the identities of the individual spaces. Paying homage to the local art scene in Sacramento, close attention is paid to creating visual stimulation and variety in the expression of each bear, uniquely designed with use of different colors, patterns, gradients, and textures.