Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.07
Liaison Breeana Sylvas
Submission Date Feb. 25, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

University of California, Merced
IN-1: Innovation 1

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Title or keywords related to the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
UC Merced 2020 Project

A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome :

Enrollment demand at UC Merced has initiated the “2020 Project”, a capital development project to double the physical capacity of the campus by 2020 in order to accommodate long-term enrollment growth to 10,000 students. UC Merced’s growth strategy is to adopt a compact, pedestrian-oriented, high-density development pattern that will add approximately 920,000 assignable square feet of academic, residential, and student services space in a single project.

Multiple design teams are currently competing to be awarded the development project through a formal Request for Proposals process. The 2020 Project is innovative because (1) its large scale lends itself to district-wide, multi-building resource efficient strategies (e.g. district wide utilities, integrated bicycle, pedestrian transit networks) and (2) because the administrative procurement strategy UC Merced is using incorporates UC Merced’s sustainability vision as a key evaluation criteria. The selection process for the 2020 Project development considers the following components that will advance UC Merced’s sustainability goals:

• The extent to which LEED Gold minimum are met for all buildings

• Requiring designers and engineers to use Energy Budgets for development of each building

• Requiring designers and engineers to use Water Budgets for the Project development

• The extent to which minimum daylighting requirements are met to ensure employee well-being and reduce energy costs

• Requiring Drought-resistant landscaping

• Establishing Groundwater reduction targets

• Integrating Biophilic design principles into the Request for Proposals

• Creating contractual obligations on the part of the development team to maintain major building systems over the long term - including those associated with sustainability.


A brief description of any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation (if not reported above):
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A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise:
Which of the following STARS subcategories does the innovation most closely relate to? (Select all that apply up to a maximum of 5):
Yes or No
Curriculum No
Research No
Campus Engagement No
Public Engagement No
Air & Climate No
Buildings Yes
Dining Services No
Energy Yes
Grounds Yes
Purchasing Yes
Transportation No
Waste No
Water Yes
Coordination, Planning & Governance No
Diversity & Affordability No
Health, Wellbeing & Work No
Investment No

Other topic(s) that the innovation relates to that are not listed above:
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The website URL where information about the innovation is available :
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.