PYATOK | Project Work

UC BERKELEY BOWLES HALL RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE RENOVATION Education Reality Trust, Inc.
Bowles Hall Foundation
University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, California Renovation + Adaptive Reuse / Student + Educator Housing

Bowles Hall is a 1928 collegiate Gothic-style reinforced concrete building on the National Register of Historic Places and located astride the Hayward Fault on a steep hillside above the UC Berkeley campus. Under the leadership of the Bowles Hall Foundation and developer EdR, this building was restored to its original function as a residential college with integrated dining and academic facilities.

The 55,340 SF dormitory originally provided communal bathrooms and room suites, which were reconfigured to private rooms and en-suite baths shared by no more than four students of any gender. Historic common rooms on the main floor, as well as the third floor dining facilities and library, were restored in keeping with the original design. The reconfigured existing spaces and a new 3,725-square-foot addition house support services such as a commercial kitchen and new common spaces including a game room, fitness room, study lounges and private study rooms. Apartment-style living quarters for two faculty members were also added.

The renovation included significant seismic and life-safety improvements. The building’s stepped levels demanded accessibility interventions including an enlarged elevator shaft providing split-level stops as well as stops to floors previously not serviced. The deteriorating concrete façade was restored and slipping terracotta roof tiles securely reinstalled. The landscape was modified to create better shared outdoor spaces and enhance the accessible route to the Campus.

Bowles Hall is now a supportive community for 189 undergraduate students contributing a unique sense of identity within the context of this large public university.

Awards

2017 Gold Nugget
Award of Merit - Best Renovated, Restored or Adaptive Re-Use Residential Project
2017 Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association
Renovation, Restoration & Refurbishing Preservation Award
2017 Student Housing Business Innovator Award
Best Renovation of Existing University Housing
2017 SEAOC Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards
Award of Merit - Historic Preservation
2017 Engineering News-Record (ENR) California
Merit Award for Renovation/Restoration
2017 Best In American Living
Remodeling Award - Historic Preservation/Restoration

Personnel