SACRAMENTO, Calif.—A contracting team led by McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. has successfully completed the Ernest E. Tschannen Eye Institute Building at the University of California, Davis in Northern California.

Working with Vanir Construction Management and architects HGA and TEF, McCarthy worked under a design-build contract on the new institute, which is located nearby Davis in the capital city of Sacramento. The teams also expanded UC Davis’s Ambulatory Care Center as a part of the project for the university.

The Ernest E. Tschannen Eye Institute Building entails 78,500 square feet that will be a boon to the university’s existing medical use and instruction space. According to information released by McCarthy, one of the consultants on the project was Chris Downey, a designer who lost his sight in 2008 and has since worked to help the vision-impaired in his work. Downey’s input was crucial to the layout envisioned by HGA and TEF as the design evolved.

The Tschannen institute consolidates all of UC Davis Health Eye Center’s under one roof, with specialties devoted to optometry and ophthalmology, clinical research and training. The facility also features departmental offices and student areas.

The architectural design for the eye center is meant to be welcoming and pleasing to the beholder. Building materials at the base entail nature-toned exterior substances that are offset by a folding, clear-glass curtain wall that is meant to present a warm feeling as students, clinicians, patients and visitors cross into the facility’s multi-story glass entryway.

The interior features a circulatory wayfinding route that runs the length of the building. Clinic waiting and reception areas are all located off of this main thoroughfare, which connects the medical use area in the new building with renovated areas in the older facility.

“Bringing UC Davis Health Eye Center’s new facilities to life has truly been a fulfilling experience for all of the consultants involved,” Greg Osecheck, HGA’s principal-in-charge, said in a recent release. “From day one, we knew the spaces we were creating had the potential to dramatically improve the lives of clinicians, patients and vision scientists alike, and it was an honor to work closely with all of our project partners to ensure their usefulness long into the future. We’re hopeful that the new Ernest E. Tschannen Eye Building and its supporting spaces will give rise to some of medicine’s most transformational eye care solutions.”

Added Alyosha Verzhbinsky, TEF’s principal-in-charge: “Working with the medical leadership of the Eye Center was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my professional life.”

In an email sent to School Construction News, Ian McQuoid, senior vice president of operations at McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., said that the Ernest T. Tschannen Eye Institute at UC Davis will ultimately better the community as well as the university itself.

“The new building will not only enable the Ophthalmology Department at UC Davis Medical Center’s Sacramento campus to achieve patient care excellence and improve the patient experience, but it will also increase operational efficiency for UC Davis Health,” said McQuoid.

The team at Ernest E. Tschannen Eye Institute Building is aiming for LEED Gold certification of the building.

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MANZANOLA, Colo.—A historic high school building in the southeast of the Centennial State has been given a 21st century facelift. The Manzanola Junior/Senior High School—built in 1925 according to designs by noted Colorado architect Temple Buell—has undergone renovations to its older structures as well as the addition of more educational space to accommodate increasing enrollment.

Furthermore, the century-old school building featured rather antiquated climate control, and was also in need of asbestos remediation and various repairs throughout. The Manzanola School District 3J was able to secure $31 million from a BEST grant in 2019 in order to fund the upgrades.

Colorado’s own Wold Architects and Engineers was hired to redesign Manzanola, and their plans were realized jointly by Nunn Construction and Vanir Construction Management. Part of the architectural redesign by Wold entailed reconfiguring the school around a two-story media center, which served as the proverbial heart of the school. Accordingly, learning spaces were configured to emanate out from that central location along two wings—which simultaneously respected Buell’s initial vision for the school.

The reimagined campus now boasts a “learning courtyard” as well as modern facilities for administrative use, physical education and science classes.

“As a local firm, we are honored to work with the Manzanola School District to revitalize its new community campus and honor the original structure designed by Buell,” Josh Grenier, principal at Wold Architects and Engineers, said in a recent statement. “This campus supports a diverse student population that deserves a safe, enriching learning environment, and we are proud to play a role in bringing this important facility to life.”

Added Nancy Westfall, Manzanola School District 3J Superintendent, “We have such a bright and deserving student population and couldn’t be more excited for them to experience the new community campus. These reimagined spaces provide a collaborative learning environment and a safe, secure facility that honors our rural community’s long, rich history.”

In addition to its offices in Colorado, Wold operates from locations in Tennessee, Illinois and Minnesota. The 2021 Building Design + Construction Giants 400 Report ranked the company number 6 on its annual national list of top architecture-engineering firms.

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