Chancellor Carol Christ and other campus leaders formally open Berkeley Way West, UC Berkeley’s newest academic building. (UC Berkeley photo by Keegan Houser)
With a snap of the traditional big scissors, Chancellor Carol Christ formally opened Berkeley Way West, UC Berkeley’s newest academic building.
The eight-story, 230,000-square-foot building houses classrooms, offices, open workstations and collaborative space designed to serve the 900 students, staff and faculty connected to the Graduate School of Education, the Department of Psychology and the School of Public Health.
“This building was conceived of as a home for ‘healthy futures,’” Chancellor Carol Christ said at the ceremonial ribbon-cutting on Friday. “The students, staff, and professors in each of these disciplines are committed to a future in which health and wellness are more accessible to all, in which there is greater educational opportunity and in which we possess a deeper understanding of ourselves and our humanity.”
The LEED Silver building at 2121 Berkeley Way is taking over for the seismically challenged and soon-to-be razed Tolman Hall.
The building will also include three retail spaces on the ground floor, while the top three floors will be leased out to help offset construction costs. In future years, they will provide room for the university’s growth.
