Seismic Safety Corrections
University of California
Berkeley, California
California, Berkeley, is the second busiest building on campus in terms of classroom usage. Offices for faculty and staff of thirteen departments are located here. The building is comprised of eight floors of academic spaces. The basement houses classrooms, computer labs, and the campus radio station. The first floor consists primarily of classrooms. Floors two through seven are department offices and conference rooms for faculty and administration. The eighth floor boasts some of the most spectacular views of the San Francisco Bay Area from the walkway surrounding a large, prestigious assembly/event room.
murakami/Nelson carefully studied the impact of various strengthening schemes, selecting one that maintained the basic form of the building but created more articulation in the exterior walls. Existing openings were preserved except at critical shear locations. The color scheme highlights the concrete structure, but the blue underside of the roof canopy and the rust-red eighth floor reflect the red tile roofs of nearby historic buildings and the sky above.
The Seismic Corrections project was completed in September of 2002. Thick steel-reinforced concrete walls now wrap the East and West ends, while collector beams tie these two masses together along the five upper floors. This solution of exterior strengthening was necessary to allow continuous occupancy of the building during construction. Life safety improvements and interior adjustments to spaces are also part of the project. A new canopy entrance along the North façade of the one-story element was added to create a dramatic focal point, as well as to provide additional access to this much used building.
