The new May Lee State Office Complex (MLSOC), composed of four mid-rise office buildings in the River District, is the largest all-electric, zero carbon workplace campus in the U.S, and accommodates more than 5,000 state employees. Design began in 2019 and the grand opening was celebrated in March, 2024. The complex received a LEED Gold certification and a SITES Gold certification – a first for the California Department of General Services (DGS), which managed the project.
DGS selected the MLSOC location to be an anchor for revitalization efforts of the River District. With access to Township 9 light rail station across the street and located near the riverfront, DGS Project staff envisioned the complex to serve as inspiration for future adaptive-use and construction projects. MLSOC also creates an opportunity to restore the River District’s lost connection with the city and the river, as industrial development in the 20th century formed barriers.
“The original river channels created a large riparian area [now known as the River District]. Building the elevated railroad lines created both a visual and physical barrier. The River District lost its riparian areas and connection to the river,” explained Erik Prince, Principal of Atlas Lab, a Sacramento-based landscape architecture and urban design firm.
Prince led the planning and community engagement element of the River District’s strategic planning process as their consultant. “We are always looking for ways to reconnect the River District to the city and the river. Native plantings at MLSOC have helped to restore the North/South connection; and created an opportunity to stitch together areas of native plants and trees,” Prince said.
XinXin Shen, Associate with RELM Studio of Los Angeles explained, “The California Department of General Services (DGS) released a competitive bid to design a building that adheres to very specific guidelines. The building must be all electric, LEED Gold Certified, and include some community centric amenities. RELM Studio was selected to design the landscape and we worked closely with ZGF Architects during design and construction.”
“Our goal was to design a campus using ground cover that featured climate adaptive plants using less water. We wanted to reduce long term landscape maintenance and the need for extensive irrigation,” Shen said.
“We also wanted to plant as many trees and plants as possible to enhance the feeling of being surrounded by a natural space and encourage workers to enjoy the outdoors. The trees will grow 4-5 stories tall to create a large tree canopy and provide shade. The trees also reduce the impact of heat islands,” Shen noted.
Landscape design offers multiple tree-lined spaces, shaded courtyards, seating areas, and native plants that have become a model for water conservation and low maintenance in office projects.
“The irrigation system is designed to capture future reclaimed water for the site,” Shen said. “With healthy soil and mulch, when plants are established, there is less opportunity for weeds to grow.”
“The Capital grounds crew of the Department of General Services maintains the grounds. Since the campus is designed to be low maintenance, the crew does seasonal trimming and manages the irrigation,” Juli Kawahata, Project Director for the Project Management and Development Branch of DGS, said. The landscape design has capacity for both water storage and using recyclable water.
Plant species are 70 percent California perennial native plants; and trees that are climate adaptive in order to conserve water. Visitors enjoy shade from Live Oak, Valley Oak, Forest Green Oak, Catalina Cherry and California Sycamores. Eastern and Western Redbud trees tend to be smaller, so they are used under the building canopy.
The campus open space design creates opportunities to attract, birds and pollinators, so plants of many species can thrive.
Agencies Involved
- RELM Studio – Landscape architecture and urban design firm – designed the landscaping for MLSOC
- ZGF Architects – Architecture, interior design, and urban planning firm – responsible for designing the site.
- Hensel Phelps – General Contractor. Led the design-build team and responsible for constructing the complex.
- CA Department of General Services (DGS) – Owner. Responsible for managing the construction project and maintains the complex.
See additional site photos at RELM studio website, https://relmstudio.com/project/type/campus-culture/may-lee-office-complex/
May Lee – Served California for 79 years
May Lee is the oldest state employee on record with service that lasted 79 years. She began working in the Department of Finance and then moved to the Department of General Services. Lee died in 2023, shortly before her 103rd birthday.
Written by Janice Kelley, outdoorjan@att.net
