Bakar BioEnginuity Hub Continues to Impress Tour Attendees

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend one of last weekend’s two tours of UC Berkeley’s Bakar BioEnginuity Hub!

This tour sold out almost immediately when AIA SF first led the tour in January 2022, and sold out even quicker when we decided to host a second set of tours for our members. 

A special shout out to Ken Lidicker of MBH Architects, Todd Smith, AIA, LEED AP, CASp of Page & Turnbull, and Allen Nudel, SE of Forell|Elsesser Structural Engineers for being such fantastic tour guides!

About the Building

Bakar BioEnginuity Hub is the rehabilitation of a landmark University of California Berkeley building converting it into a well-equipped 94,000 SF life-science laboratory, while preserving its historical significance.

The project began in 2016 with a feasibility study to determine the renovations required to convert the building into a seismically safe life science laboratory, while preserving its historical significance. The goal for the design was to bring together UC researchers, including students, with life science start-ups by providing spaces for interaction in addition to well-equipped research space, which is typically cost-prohibitive for young companies.

Historical elements of Mario Ciampi’s Brutalist architecture were upgraded with the utmost care to preserve and protect the building from future damage. Major issues such as seismic performance, water intrusion, and acoustic performance were addressed while bringing the building up to code. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing infrastructure was overhauled, including the replacement of existing gas service with all-electric systems, allowing the project to achieve low EUI, operational carbon neutrality and Net-Zero HVAC water-use as well as meet LEED Gold requirements.

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