UC Berkeley Undergraduate Academic Building

As the first mass timber building at the University of California Berkeley, the Undergraduate Academic Building embraces the benefits of wood and charts a new course for sustainable construction on campus.

Nestled between the historic Campanile Way and Strawberry Creek green space, the building unites a series of pathways and green spaces on campus and serves as a bridge between UC Berkeley’s academic core and the student life facilities across the creek. Atelier Ten analyzed the building’s massing and window to wall ratios to maximize natural ventilation, quality daylight with minimal glare, and views in the classrooms and office spaces. The L-shape building design allows passive shading from surrounding buildings on the North and West facades.

Atelier Ten worked with the design team to incorporate energy efficiency features throughout the building. To reach its energy reduction target, the project emphasizes naturally ventilated offices and classrooms with operable windows, carefully managed natural daylight in the interior spaces, advanced heat pump mechanical systems, and carefully selected exterior materials for energy efficiency. The Academic Building exceeds the University’s energy use targets and is anticipated to achieve an energy use intensity (EUI) of 26.3 kBtu/ft2-yr, with a 41% reduction in annual energy use, energy cost, and annual carbon emissions compared to the LEED Baseline Design.