Berkeley High School
Berkeley, Calif.
ELS Architecture and Urban Design

Glass reveals connections between school and downtown

© Timothy Hursley

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above. To see the people and products behind this project click on 'people & products.'

This new 86,000-square-foot addition to Berkeley High School helps bridge both physical and cultural gaps between the school's 3,000 diverse students and the city that surrounds their urban campus. Located on a narrow site at the edge of campus, the addition completes a central quadrangle envisioned in the school's 1930s-era master plan. It includes a gymnasium, 50-meter indoor pool, library, cafeteria, and administrative offices.

The new addition runs 600 feet along the city sidewalk, marking an edge of Berkeley’s downtown. Purposeful breaks on the street façade distinguish interior uses. These interior volumes become more transparent on the elevation facing the campus quadrangle: a cylindrical-shaped student union pushes into the quad, mirroring the circular form of an adjacent community theater, while glazed walls frame the indoor pool and allow views of the campus on two sides.

A glazed “flex-lobby,” located at the addition’s northeast corner, connects recreational uses to the student union. Aligned with the city’s street grid, it establishes an axis that leads directly to public transit systems and Berkeley’s downtown. Respectful of neighboring civic buildings, it reconnects the high school to its urban community. A new gate, also located at the building’s north end, opens onto the quad, welcoming students and community residents alike onto the campus.

ELS designed Berkeley’s addition to take maximum advantage of daylight, exceeding state energy standards. The gymnasium and pool areas feature large clerestory windows, while the north side of the library’s reading room is fully glazed. The new student union, ringed with clerestories and topped by steel trusses and cedar planking, has become a popular spot for eating and performances—much to the satisfaction of college counselors and student advisors, whose offices open to this seating area and have seen an increased use of their services.

Formal name of Project:
Berkeley High School

Location:
Berkeley, Calif.

Gross square footage:
86,250 sq. ft.

Total construction cost:
$30 million

Owner:
Berkeley Unified School District

Architect:
ELS Architecture and Urban Design
2040 Addison Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
510-549-2929 tel.
510-843-3304 fax
www.elsarch.com