The instructional facility is the centerpiece of Phase 2 of the School of Veterinary Medicine’s facilities master plan. It is dedicated to undergraduate teaching and serves as a central gathering place for the entire veterinary medicine precinct. The project’s high environmental and energy efficiency goals resulted in an exemplary model of integrated design, with the building’s unique programmatic and usage needs inspiring sustainable technologies.
55,600 sf
Davis, CA
2006
LEED Platinum
2005 Best Overall Sustainable Design Award — University of California Sustainability Conference
A central commons area houses food service and informal gathering places. Surrounding it are classrooms, lecture halls, and anatomy and multipurpose laboratories. Student support, alumni and administrative offices are housed in pavilions that border on the courtyard.
Designed for the hot, dry climate of Davis, Gladys Valley Hall utilizes evaporative cooling and nighttime ventilation coupled with thermal massing to eliminate the need for mechanical cooling most of the year. Daylighting from the building’s side and overhead provides even light levels throughout. The first project at UC Davis to pursue LEED certification, the Gladys Valley Hall instructional facility was awarded LEED Platinum. In 2005, the project was awarded the Best Overall Sustainable Design Award at the University of California Sustainability Conference.
