The University of California has selected Turner to construct a new, state-funded Medical Education Building on campus in California, USA.

The 203,000-square-foot, four-story building, funded by the state and designed by ZGF, is slated to serve as the base for UC Merced's medical education program. Collaborating with UCSF-Fresno on the UCSF San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education, UC Merced aims to attract and educate a fresh cohort of healthcare professionals. The facility will encompass instructional areas, classrooms, a community sample collection and analysis lab, developmental psychology intake labs, faculty research labs in the social sciences, clinical practicum spaces, and a café. Additionally, the project will involve the development of hardscaping, landscaping, and a parking lot, with potential considerations for relocating the Cottonwood stormwater detention basin and upgrading utilities as required.

The Medical Education Building will be designed to run only on clean energy without using natural gas, supporting UC Merced’s carbon neutrality status. Construction is anticipated to begin in Spring 2024, with the completion slated for Fall 2026.