Gothic revival: The nation’s first residential college is meticulously restored

It took 11 years and creative financing through a public-private partnership to resurrect UC Berkeley’s Bowles Hall, the nation’s first residential college. Built in 1928 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Gothic-style building became too expensive to maintain and fell into disrepair over the years.

This project involved the renovation and restoration of the 57,000-sf hall, and the construction of a 4,200-sf addition. The Reconstruction Awards judges noted the project team’s meticulous work in revitalizing the historic structure, including the manual removal and reinstallation of 20,000 historic clay roof tiles (most of them mortared directly onto the roof); the construction of concrete walls, concrete mat foundations, and a buttress to strengthen the building against earthquakes; and the reconfiguration of the layout of the dorms to accommodate modern living needs, with Wi-Fi, central heating, and en suite baths. The team also cleverly converted underutilized attic space into the dean’s apartment.

Project Summary

Honorable Mention

Building Team: Clark Construction Group (submitting firm, GC) Bowles Hall Foundation (owner) EdR (developer) Pyatok (architect) Maffei Structural Engineering (SE) ACCO Engineered Systems (ME) Royal Electric Co. (EE) Pan-Pacific (PE).

Details: 61,200 sf. Total cost: $27.1 million. Construction time: June 2015 to August 2016. Delivery method: CM at risk.

SEE ALL OF THE 2017 RECONSTRUCTION AWARD WINNERS HERE