Bowles Hall

Opened in 1928, Bowles Hall was among the first dormitories built on the University of California, Berkeley campus. In 1989, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a City of Berkeley landmark. However, due to its age and deferred maintenance, Bowles Hall was in poor physical condition as well as being functionally obsolete. The university wanted to save and restore the building because of its importance in the history of the campus. Bowles Hall was an extremely complex project that required EdR and its design and construction teams to find an appropriate balance between the often-conflicting requirements of the historic building code, Americans with Disability Act, current building codes, Title 24 energy requirements, LEED Silver standards, and University standards. An entirely new layout of the residential units was implemented based on current codes and standards. While preserving the historical integrity of the architecture, the project includes new systems infrastructure, rationalized floor plans with suite-style student units, and significant seismic improvements.