UC Davis Health and Wellness Center: Davis, CA

Student Remedy

The daylight-filled three-story UC Davis Health and Wellness Center offers physical and mental health services from dermatology to stress reduction strategies for the campus’ 30,000 students. Chilled beams, a somewhat unusual design element in the United States, contribute to the project’s low annual EUI of 84.9 kBtu/ft2 and reduced the height of the building, resulting in lower construction costs. The payback period for the chilled beams was originally predicted to be 6.6 years, but since actual performance has been better than predictions, the payback period will be shorter. The building envelope’s high window-to-wall ratio (41%) allows for plenty of natural daylight, which, along with an efficient lighting design, results in electricity savings.