The first mass timber project for UC Berkeley, the Undergraduate Academic Building embraces the environmental and biophilic benefits of wood.
Undergraduate Academic Building
University of California, Berkeley
Location
Berkeley, California
Owner
University of California, Berkeley
Associate Architect: TEF Design
General Contractor: Plant Construction Company, L.P.
Structural Engineer: Forell/Elsesser, Inc.
Civil Engineer: Sherwood Design Engineers
Landscape Architect: Hargreaves Jones
MEP Engineer: Introba
Lighting Design: HLB Lighting Design
Sustainability: Atelier Ten
Acoustic, AV & IT: NV5
Environmental Graphics: Clearstory
Project Size
79,016 square feet
Project Status
In Progress
Certifications
Targeting LEED New Construction Gold
Services
Architecture, Interior Design
Located on a prominent site on the University of California, Berkeley’s campus framing the university’s historic Campanile Way and Strawberry Creek green space, the new Undergraduate Academic Building carefully balances these two contexts to create a new center of gravity for general education on campus. Defined by its mass timber structure and exposed wood elements, the building embraces a sustainable design approach as it knits together a complex network of pathways and green spaces on campus.
The first mass timber project for UC Berkeley, the Undergraduate Academic Building embraces the environmental and biophilic benefits of wood, significantly reducing the project’s embodied carbon while also creating warm and welcoming spaces throughout. Targeting LEED Gold, the all-electric building is PV-ready and incorporates energy-efficient features such as cross-ventilated classrooms, offices with operable windows and ceiling fans, exterior shading, and demand-control ventilation with heat recovery.
The Undergraduate Academic Building creates a new link between academic pursuits and student life. Its location and porosity allow the building to function as a bridge between the campus’s academic core and the student life facilities across the creek.
