McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. Reaches Two Construction Milestones at UC Merced

MERCED, CA--(Marketwire - Apr 10, 2012) - McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. ("McCarthy") recently reached two construction milestones at the University of California, Merced ("UC Merced"). Ground was broken on the Science and Engineering Building 2, a 103,000 square-foot laboratory and research facility. Concurrently, the Recreation Center North was "topped out," whereby the final structural steel beam was put in place. The Science and Engineering Building 2 is a major education and research building that will complete the academic core around the Carol Tomlinson-Keasey Quad on the UC Merced campus, while Recreation Center North will nearly double the campus' recreation space.

"Achieving these significant construction milestones is a huge step forward as UC Merced continues to grow and expand its campus," said Tim Albiani, McCarthy's project director. "On Recreation Center North, the need was immediate and 'value' was essential. As such, McCarthy adopted a design-build project delivery method to streamline the overall delivery process and meet the needs of the students returning to school in the fall of 2012. We also have kept a clear focus on the environmental sustainability goals of the campus. It is exciting to see progress on projects that will provide much-needed academic and recreational space for the university's growing enrollment."

Both projects are part of a major expansion effort at UC Merced and adhere to its original campus charter to showcase environmentally responsible construction by planning and constructing one of the country's most sustainable university campuses. As such, UC Merced is the first university campus in the nation to have all of its buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. The Science and Engineering Building 2 and Recreation Center North will seek to achieve LEED Platinum certification, the industry's highest rating.

Science and Engineering Building 2 is a three-story laboratory and research building. It will house mechanical engineering, material science, computer science, environmental and bio-engineering spaces, as well as classrooms, faculty offices, administrative areas and a wind tunnel lab. The sustainable elements of the project include solar hot water and power generation that will act as part of a living laboratory of renewable energy education while also serving as a source of the building's energy supply. The building's interior features extensive use of recycled materials, such as carpets, ceiling tile, and reclaimed wood for special ceilings and wall panels, which also help prevent indoor air pollution. Smith Group JJR serves as the architect.

Recreation Center North, a significant ancillary building to the currently over-utilized Joseph Edward Gallo Recreation and Wellness Center, is scheduled for completion in late summer 2012. The approximately 21,000 square-foot facility will include cardio-vascular and workout studios, an Outdoor Adventures activities area, meeting rooms, training facilities and recreational and office spaces. Sustainable features include: energy performance at 50 percent of buildings of this type, sun shading to provide maximum daylighting with minimal solar gain, grass pavers for the fire lane integrated into the landscaping and drought tolerant planting comprised of mostly native or adaptive plants. The standing seam roof, plaster, glazing, metal screens and fins have been selected to compliment the surrounding campus context while maintaining high standards of sustainability. The architect is WRNS Studio.