Aggie Square Receives Lab Design’s 2026 Design Excellence Award for Excellence in Whole Building/Holistic Design—New Build
Aggie Square at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) has received the 2026 Design Excellence Award for Excellence in Whole Building/Holistic Design—New Build. Presented by Lab Design News, this annual award recognizes outstanding achievement in the research space design, planning, and construction. Developed by Wexford Science + Technology, LLC in partnership with UC Davis and the City of Sacramento, this multi-use innovation district was honored for intentionally blurring the lines between academia, industry, and the surrounding community.
Opened in May 2025, Phase 1 of this transformative 11-acre development spans more than 1 million square feet across four primary structures. The district integrates cutting-edge laboratories, Wexford ConnectLabs, classrooms, student housing, retail services, support spaces, and vibrant public outdoor spaces to foster collaboration and creativity. The project is already proving to be a regional economic engine, on track to achieve LEED Gold® status, exceed California’s strict Title 24 energy-efficiency standards by at least 20%, and support over 25,000 jobs in the area.
Aggie Square contains spaces designed to spark creativity.
Aggie Square is an all-electric development that reflects UC Davis’s and Wexford’s commitment to sustainability, innovation, and a decarbonized future. Serving as engineer of record, Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (AEI) provided integrated mechanical, electrical, piping/plumbing, fire protection, security, and technology consulting, as well as architectural lighting design solutions from Pivotal Lighting Design to support the district’s advanced research, education, and community spaces.
AEI designed high-performance building systems tailored to Sacramento’s climate, incorporating energy-efficient technologies such as heat-recovery chillers and heat pumps while reducing building water use by an estimated 36%. Through thoughtful coordination of infrastructure, laboratory environments, and campus-wide technology systems, AEI helped deliver a high-performing, future-ready innovation district poised to advance research, collaboration, and economic growth throughout the region.
- 500,000+
- square feet of life science-based lab space