Student Health and Wellness Center Infusing well-being into UC Davis campus life

Client University of California, Davis
Location Davis, CA
Size 75,300 sq ft
Completion 2010
Program Primary care services, women’s health, specialty clinics, counseling services, health promotion and education, wellness garden, lab, imaging center, urgent care
Sustainability LEED Gold
Delivery CM-at-Risk
Photographer Bruce Damonte
Awards California Construction Best of Year Merit Award (2010)

AIA California Council / Concrete Masonry Association of California & Nevada Design Honor Award, Education Category & Sustainable Category (2011)
Illuminating Engineering Society Award of Merit (2011)

ASHRAE Technology Award (2012)

The Student Health and Wellness Center at UC Davis exemplifies the modern university’s commitment to fostering holistic student wellbeing and success. This dynamic facility integrates primary care, women’s health, specialty clinics, counseling, and health promotion services to meet diverse needs. Complementing these functions, meditation rooms, a wellness garden, a walking track, and a demonstration kitchen invite student engagement and promote a balanced lifestyle. Centrally located on a key campus thoroughfare and adjacent to the Activities and Recreation Center, the facility is designed to make health and wellness an accessible, integral part of the college experience.

Fostering holistic student health

The building’s east/west orientation maximizes natural light and efficient energy use, while sunshades and operable windows allow for personalized comfort in private offices. The vibrant, glass-encased interiors create transparency, blending the indoors with outdoor spaces like the green roof and Wellness Garden, which features native, edible, and medicinal plants. A stormwater retention basin supports aquifer recharge, underscoring sustainability goals.

Modular design allows for future expansion, with clinic “pods” that enhance operational efficiency. Centralized nurse stations minimize movement across the facility, fostering connectivity and care. The Student Health and Wellness Center reflects UC Davis’ dedication to adaptable, sustainable design and student-centric health solutions.