UC Riverside’s new School of Medicine instructional building won two awards from a construction industry trade publication.
The School of Medicine Education Building II, which opened in September 2023 after two years of construction, received the Award of Merit in the Excellence in Sustainability category and an Award of Merit in Higher Education/Research from Engineering News-Record California.
The five-story building is the medical school’s largest expansion since it opened in 2013 and the first building designed specifically for its needs, with state-of-the-art facilities that support modern medical education. It allows for increased class size and features administrative offices, lecture halls, classrooms, study space, student lounges, and other support space.
The building has a 200-kilowatt solar array on the roof and is LEED Platinum-certified, meeting leading industry standards for energy efficiency and sustainability,
The publication split awards into Southern and Northern California regions with a panel of architecture, engineering, and construction experts reviewing projects for sustainability. For the second award UCR won, projects were evaluated on the ability of the project team to overcome challenges, their contribution to the industry, safety, and construction and design quality.
The Southern California awards will be presented at a ceremony on Oct. 15 in Los Angeles.
Contractor Hensel Phelps, which was the design/build team with CO Architects, submitted the project for consideration.
“We are incredibly proud of this achievement,” said Cynthia Carolina, director of facilities and operations for the school. “The School of Medicine Education Building II is more than just a building; it’s a testament to our dedication to providing our students with the best possible learning environment while prioritizing sustainability.”
