Lawrence Berkeley National Lab | Chu Hall
Berkeley, CA
Photos: Bruce Damonte; SmithGroupJJR

Scope
Structural Engineering

Size
39,000 sf
 
Certification
LEED Gold

Awards

  • AIA SF Design Awards 2016, Honor Award
  • AIA East Bay Design Award 2015, Merit Award
  • ENR Northern California Award, Best Project 2015: Higher Education/Research


Key Info
Green roof at the north and south portions of
level 1

 


The 39,000 sf building houses 100 researchers focused on the conversion of solar energy into liquid fuels. Each level centers on different aspects of current research needs. Level 1 provides ultra-low vibration areas for sensitive work, Level 2 is the main building entrance and the space allows for interdisciplinary interaction, and Level 3 houses laboratories for wet lab research and nanoscale technology. The team used Building Information Models to facilitate efficient design and collaboration. Rutherford + Chekene was the structural engineer for the building and also provided structural engineering services for equipment anchorage in all laboratories.