Building History
A Home for Visionary Thinking
The Blum Center for Developing Economies began in 2006 as a bold idea: to create a center at Berkeley focused on education, collaboration, and innovation with a social purpose. The new building for the Blum Center was meant to be a home for these efforts–a permanent place of inspiration where this vision could unfold.
The work began with the hiring of the Gensler architectural firm, which was charged with examining possibilities for new construction and planning the restoration of the 1914 Naval Architecture Building while preserving its historical and architectural features. The final set of buildings form an integrated ring of structures and pedestrian pathways on the north side of campus.
Design Goals
The primary goals were for Blum Hall to blend with its surroundings and be built to a high level of sustainability (LEED Certification). This was translated into a design of modest massing, oriented to maximize connectivity between the existing buildings and allow the landscapes to create places for reflection and interaction. The pitched roofs, use of natural cladding materials, and the capturing of natural light and views were all key elements.
Saving History
Restoring the Naval Architecture Building. A large part of the Blum Center project entailed the restoration of the Historic Wing. This structure is one of the last remaining “temporary” buildings designed in the Arts and Crafts style by John Galen Howard, Campus Architect from 1902-1924. With tall, full-light windows across its northern façade, this building provided drawing studios for practitioners in art, engineering, city planning, and naval architecture for decades.
A New Foundation and a New Name. The first step in the restoration effort was to create an entirely new structural foundation for the Naval Architecture Building that would be shared with Blum Hall’s New Wing as one massive concrete structure. This required careful and extensive excavation beneath the historic structure and became a special design exercise of its own.
With a new foundation; updated seismic, wiring, and mechanical systems; the addition of an elevator and other access enhancements; restored windows; replicated hardware; and fresh exterior cedar shingles, the Naval Architecture Building became the Historic Wing of Blum Hall.
Constructing the New Wing
With the major foundation elements in place, groundbreaking was held for the New Wing, a three-level structure hosting classrooms, student work areas, offices, and conference spaces that is located downslope from the Historic Wing. The two wings are connected by stairways, an elevated bridge, and landscaped outdoor ramps that spill into a sunny plaza.
The Blum Hall buildings meet LEED Silver certification standards. Its design was particularly focused on occupant health and comfort, energy efficiency, water conservation, and use of sustainably-sourced, non-toxic materials.
Vision Becomes Reality
Opening Day at the Blum Center and the re-opening of the Historic Wing were celebrated on October 8, 2010.
Speaking at the Opening were Shankar Sastry, Dean of the U.C. Berkeley College of Engineering; U.S. Senator for California Dianne Feinstein; former Secretary of State George Schultz; and Richard C. Blum, University of California Regent and Founder of the Blum Center for Developing Economies.
Additional Photos
We wish to recognize the entire team at Gensler for their elegant design solutions and energetic effort. Special thanks to Arthur Gensler and Betsy Sandidge. Additional thanks to Frederic Knapp, preservationist and principal, Knapp Architects, and to Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction.