Location:  Sacramento, California

Client: County of Solano

Located at the easterly terminus of Capitol Park, this project is an ambitious multi-block mixed-use development to consolidate the headquarters operations of three major departments of California State government. 6,400 employees of the Departments of Health Services, Education and General Services are housed in the five-building, 1.5 million square foot development, along with 1,500 parking spaces.

The California Department of Education Headquarters, Block 225, is the first of this five building Complex to be completed. The project was delivered through a Bridged Design-Build process with Johnson Fain acting as master design architect including planning and interiors and Hensel Phelps Construction Company and Fentress Bradburn Architects completing the $68.6 million design-build project. At time of completion, the 336,000 square feet, six stories high, Block 225 was the largest of only eleven projects in the world to receive a LEED Gold rating. Subsequently, it was upgraded to LEED Platinum certification. The Department of Health Services and General Services are housed in the second portion of the Capitol Area East End Complex, known as Blocks 171-174. This design-build team is made up of Clark Construction and Gruen Architects who completed this $225.6 million complex. This portion of the project received LEED Silver certification.

The energy efficiency measures in the design saves the State an estimated $120,000 a year in electricity costs. The building provides 213 subsurface parking spaces, seven recharging stations for electric cars, 30 carpool spaces, 71 bicycle parking spaces, and lockers for ten percent of the building’s population.

Public amenities include retail, community police station, 300-seat auditorium, and childcare center for up to 100 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with outdoor play area. Employees have been housed in over 20 different buildings spread throughout Sacramento. In consolidating staff into the new complex the state could vacate rented space, save rent, reduce travel to various buildings as well as increase employee productivity.