PYATOK | Project Work

THE LAUREATE Telegraph / Blake, LLC

Berkeley, California Market-Rate Housing/TOD / Student + Educator Housing

The Laureate creates new, market-rate student housing on Berkeley’s renowned Telegraph Avenue, within a seven-minute walk from Cal campus. The project responds to its bustling location with ground floor community retail and live/work lofts, and facilitates a transition of activity between commercial and residential environments. From its prominent site at the intersection of Blake St, the project establishes a new gateway to the Telegraph corridor and to the university campus just beyond. The Laureate takes character and programming cues from the 70s-era food hall that had previously occupied the site (itself an adaptive reuse of a car dealership).

The five-story project includes four active frontages with impressive views. Materials and lighting lend a campus-like prestige while avoiding overt dormitory references. Large 3- and 4-bedroom units accommodate between four and eight residents while fostering privacy and flexibility for personal schedules. Each floor is designed around a compact circulation core, and innovative layouts minimize unit plumbing fixtures. A fourth floor roof deck on the quiet, west-facing side of the building provides a tranquil outdoor space and sweeping Bay views for residents while preserving privacy between neighbors. The main entrance on Telegraph strengthens resident access to the main street while limiting the impacts of high-density housing on side streets.

The Laureate leverages its accessible location to provide an 84-space bike room and avoid any on-site automobile parking. The project includes capabilities for NetZero performance, rooftop solar, and stormwater retention.

Awards