Congratulations to the May Lee State Office Complex project team on receiving the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) Western Pacific Region Project of the Year Award! Hensel Phelps is also thrilled to announce that the Caltech Resnick Sustainability Center received a Distinction Award, and project managers Mariano Ponsiano and Andrew Cameron were recognized with the 2025 Jacob Williams Volunteer Awards during the annual awards dinner.
May Lee State Office Complex – Project of the Year
Establishing an urban fabric for the current and future River District in Sacramento, Hensel Phelps collaborated with ZGF Architects and Dreyfuss + Blackford to build the State’s largest office complex and parking structure. The May Lee State Office Complex (MLSOC) in Sacramento, CA, unites various agencies and departments of the State of California across a 17.3-acre site, comprising approximately 1,250,000 SF of office space and amenities. This is the first development in the revitalized River District, an area being transformed from its industrial past into a modern, vibrant neighborhood adjacent to the downtown core. The campus features four mid-rise office buildings, a rich amenities program curated for occupants’ needs, lush landscaping, a new parking structure and ample opportunities for micro-mobility and public transit. Together, these elements enhance and support connections between occupants, buildings and the evolving urban fabric of Sacramento’s River District.
The MLSOC is also a landmark in sustainable design and construction, setting a national precedent as the largest all-electric, zero-carbon workplace campus in the U.S. From day one, the project was guided by a comprehensive decarbonization strategy. The team’s efforts contributed to the project’s achieving LEED Gold certification and SITES GOLD certification, exceeding sustainability goals and delivering measurable environmental benefits.
This project and team continue to amaze me! When you are part of building a project, you always believe it’s special, but the industry recognition this project team continues to receive emphasizes how truly exceptional this project was. This team embodied the collaboration and commitment of the ‘One Team’ approach which allowed us to deliver the office complex ahead of schedule while also achieving a substantial monetary savings for the State.
– John Petty, Operations Manager
The design-build delivery model provided new ways of engaging and motivating the team. Regular communication and accountability were the backbone of the project’s efforts. In the early weeks of the project, as conversations with stakeholders from across the country unfolded amidst the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MLSOC team quickly realized the project’s success would depend on fostering a culture of collaboration, teamwork, trust and adaptability. To foster a “One Team” culture, the team facilitated formal partnering sessions, including small focus groups that addressed both traditional construction, such as exterior skin, quality, and design development, and nontraditional focus groups dedicated to maintaining team morale and developing new, engaging safety protocols. For example, safety reminders on the jobsite featured characters from The Office, which were updated with iconic pop culture references. When team members welcomed new babies into their lives, baby pictures were put up onsite, reminding everyone that even in a time of isolation, they were still a team, connected in more ways than just the work.
At the heart of the project’s success was the team’s resilience. Despite beginning during one of the most difficult times in recent history, the team achieved all scheduled milestones and delivered on all commitments. While the project involved a large, dynamic team with numerous transitions, open and frequent dialogue allowed uninterrupted progress and smooth handoffs throughout the project.
Caltech Resnick Sustainability Center – Distinction Award
The four-story Caltech Resnick Sustainability Center (RSC) serves as the hub for energy and sustainability research on the Caltech campus and the home of state-of-the-art undergraduate teaching laboratories. This modern, flexible building is helping support and expand the research work of the Resnick Sustainability Institute (RSI), which has four research centers within the facility: an Ecology and Biosphere Engineering Facility; a Solar Science and Catalysis Center; a Remote Sensing Center; and a Translational Science Facility for pilot testing at scale.
The design-build team’s greatest challenge while building the one-of-a-kind RSC was to achieve LEED Platinum certification while incorporating the functional needs of a highly specialized research facility that fosters collaboration across different disciplines. Research laboratories typically require significant energy to operate specialized equipment, maintain controlled environments and ensure proper ventilation. Also, research needs can change rapidly, requiring laboratories to be flexible and adaptable. The team used innovative solutions to meet LEED Platinum standards while addressing the needs of the bespoke collaborative research facility.
The team integrated advanced sustainable technologies and materials, including a mass-timber structure, which is a renewable resource with less embodied carbon than steel or concrete. This approach reduced construction waste through precise off-site prefabrication and created a warmer, healthier interior environment due to its biophilic nature. However, mass timber is less effective at dampening vibrations in laboratories with sensitive equipment. To address this, the team used concrete for laboratory spaces and mass timber for non-laboratory spaces on the north and west elevations, supporting the organic glass façade and high-traffic common spaces.
Additional sustainability features the building incorporates include a high-performance exterior envelope, a fully glazed north atrium and western façade that maximizes natural light, solar shading fins that reduce heat gain and highly energy-efficient mechanical and electrical systems. Outside, rooftop photovoltaic arrays generate power for research and operations, while native plantings and stormwater dry wells increase the building’s sustainability.
Mariano Ponsiano and Andrew Cameron – 2025 Jacob Williams Volunteer Awards
Congratulations to Mariano Ponsiano and Andrew Cameron on receiving DBIA Western Pacific Region 2025 Jacob Williams Volunteer Awards. This award recognizes the leadership and time these two individuals have dedicated to the DBIA Western Pacific Region.
Mariano, a project manager in Hensel Phelps’ Pacific Region, was recognized for his inspiring work as the DBIA Western Pacific Region Hawaii Chapter Chair and Programs Lead. Since joining DBIA and stepping into the Hawaii Chapter Chair role in 2022, Mariano has spearheaded initiatives that have significantly strengthened the Hawaii Chapter’s impact and visibility. Under his leadership, the chapter has delivered in-person, owner-only DBIA education sessions tailored for Hawaii’s public and private sector owners in collaboration with DBIA National, facilitated peer-to-peer guidance by connecting Hawaii owners with experienced DBIA owners from across the Western Pacific Region, achieved growth in both DBIA membership and accreditations across Hawaii through increased engagement, fostered collaboration through joint events with industry organizations like AIA and ACE, and organized successful golf tournaments and networking socials, strengthening ties among industry partners. Mariano also serves as a non-voting board member for the Western Pacific Region, contributing to broader regional efforts. He credits the award to the collective support of Hawaii’s DBIA volunteers and Hensel Phelps, emphasizing that the chapter’s success is a shared achievement.
Andrew, a project manager in Hensel Phelps’ Northern California Region, was recognized for his work with the DBIA Western Pacific Region and its Bay Chapter. He began volunteering with the Bay Chapter in 2018, supporting Young Professional events across the Bay Area, including engaging with DBIA Student Chapters at local universities. Over time, his involvement grew to include leadership roles such as Bay Chapter Golf Chair, where he oversees event planning and sponsor engagement for the annual Bay Area Golf Tournament, an event he is passionate about. He has also played a key role in organizing the Bay Chapter Holiday Party for the past six years, helping make it one of the chapter’s most popular events. In addition to his current role as Bay Chapter Golf Chair, Andrew serves as the Young Professional Chair for the Western Pacific Region. He previously helped co-develop sessions and welcome events for young professionals and students at the Annual Western Pacific Region Education Summit (formerly WPR Conference) and remains committed to connecting students and young professionals with seasoned industry leaders. Andrew is passionate about supporting the DBIA, the Western Pacific Region and helping young professionals deepen their understanding of design-build while building strong relationships.
