Progress underway on the construction of Anchor House and the Gateway

February 22, 2023

Anchor House rises higher by the day

One year after the project's groundbreaking, the structural frame of Anchor House is rising higher by the day. In mid-February 2023, concrete pours and rebar installation are currently underway for the seventh floor. The Anchor House structure is expected to reach its final height of 14 stories and top-off later this summer.

Meanwhile, interior wall framing has started on the lower levels, along with the installation of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

In March 2023, installation of facade panels that will comprise the building's exterior will begin. The large panels will arrive at the project site largely overnight to lessen any adverse impacts on daytime pedestrian and vehicular traffic. As facade panels arrive, the large tower crane erected in the middle of the structure will hoist them aloft and crews will attach the panels to the building's structure. Installation of the facade panels for the entire building will take approximately five months.

Despite historic rain storms in the past couple of months, construction of Anchor House remains on schedule. The new apartments are anticipated to open for student residents in time for fall semester 2024. Upon completion, the LEED Gold building will include a total of 244 apartments with individual bedrooms for 772 students.

Located on Oxford Street across from the West Crescent, the Anchor House project spans the entire city block between University Avenue and Berkeley Way. Designed by Morris Adjmi Architects, Anchor House will be the first campus housing prioritized especially for transfer students. Construction is funded through philanthropy and the building will require no public funds to operate. Income generated by Anchor House will fund scholarships for undergraduates from underrepresented populations and first-generation college students.

Additional planned amenities in Anchor House include a teaching kitchen for the Rausser College of Natural Resources that will host cooking classes for students, a second location for the Berkeley Art Studio, a rooftop vegetable garden, an expansive indoor/outdoor fitness center with cardio and strength training equipment, and the campus's first dedicated lounge for commuting students who need a safe, convenient and welcoming facility to serve as a home base and to store their belongings in preparation for an active day on campus.

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Anchor House - February 2023
Image credit: 
UC Berkeley Capital Strategies

Site preparation for the Gateway

Since the Gateway project broke ground four months ago, considerable work has been underway to prepare the site for construction. In February 2023, crews will complete demolition work, including removing any last remnants of the foundations and building systems of the former Tolman Hall.

Meanwhile, crews are performing earthwork, excavation, and shoring work around the entire project site, which will take approximately two more months to complete. UC Berkeley's Capital Projects team is also working closely with campus departments, the city, and public agencies to finalize all the last remaining details in preparation for construction to begin.

The first structural concrete work for the Gateway is expected to begin in April 2023. The project is on schedule to be completed in fall semester 2025 with the first tenants moving into the building by the end of that calendar year.

Located on Hearst Avenue at Arch Street, the Gateway will be the new home of the Division of Computing, Data Science, and Society (CDSS). The 367,270-square-foot building will be a collaborative space where approximately 1,325 faculty, students, researchers, and staff will work together to create accessible and equitable educational opportunities and catalyze groundbreaking research to meet society's greatest challenges.

The Gateway includes a lower-level convening space, followed by five floors of dedicated research laboratories, classrooms and auditoriums, seminar and conference rooms, offices, social kitchens, a public café, and a rooftop event space.

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The Gateway - February 2023
Image credit: 
UC Berkeley Capital Strategies