In 1995, the Regents of the University of California selected a site in Merced County as the location for the University of California’s tenth campus. When construction began in 2002, the campus was determined to be a 21st century example of economic, social and environmental sustainability in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley.

The UC Merced Physical Planning, Design and Construction Archives is committed to documenting the history and evolution of the built environment of University of California’s youngest campus, through collecting, preserving, and providing access to the records related to campus buildings, landscape design, and infrastructure. These collections contain drawings, plans, specifications, renderings and other artifacts. The department of Physical Planning, Design and Construction at UC Merced has created the Physical Planning, Design and Construction Archives to provide material for scholarly research, teaching support, preservation, and as a public service and actively encourages and promotes their use.