Student Housing
University of California
Berkeley, California

This project involved the conversion of three former academic buildings (each listed on the National Register of Historic Places) of the California School for the Deaf and the Blind into handicap-accessible student apartments for the Berkeley campus. murakami/Nelson created 20 apartments capable of housing up to 80 students.

Structural and seismic strengthening was required for all three buildings in order to comply with current code requirements. Preservation of the historic architecture of the buildings involved was a critical design factor. For example, the tile roof was removed, a plywood diaphragm installed, and the original tiles reinstalled with no outward sign that the roof was strengthened.