BAKAR BioEnguinity Hub
PROJECT INFO
KSD was selected as full-service project manager for both the preconstruction and construction of the Bakar BioEnginuity Hub located in the Woo Hon Fair Hall at UC Berkeley. Formerly home to the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, the 103,000-square-foot concrete structure was closed in 2014, deemed seismically unsound. The building was retrofitted and renovated and then reopened in 2022 as the Bakar BioEnginuity Hub. The services provided by KSD included liaising with UC Berkeley; the completion of schematic design; design development; preparation of construction documents; permitting, bidding and contract award; construction administration services; and project close out for the project. In addition, KSD coordinated the requirements of the UC Berkeley charge-back entities that had jurisdiction over the work.
The project scope included the construction of research space, including a full-service 40,000 life science incubator with private lab space, office space, meeting rooms, and scientific equipment for enterprises desiring more dedicated space and wet and dry open lab benches for faculty and student researchers. Work also included a single-story, glass-enclosed addition, which added 6,600 square feet of office space to support the research function.
Tenants have access to over 14,000 square feet of lab space. Open labs are located at each of the five tiers of the building and range from 454 to 1,112 square feet, with every other tier containing private labs that range from 144 to 329 square feet. Natural lighting is created through skylights located at the back of each lab space.
The world-class facility pairs the Bakar Labs incubator with fellowships and programming for Berkeley students and researchers, equipping current and aspiring entrepreneurs in the STEM world with labs, offices, equipment and shared community spaces that aim to encourage collaboration.
The project achieved LEED Gold certification.
Architect: MBH Architects, Alameda, CA
General Contractor: Plant Construction Company, L.P., San Francisco, CA