UC Berkeley Haas to Build State-of-the-Art ‘Learning Laboratory’

UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business is constructing a six-story, 80,000 square-foot academic building devoted entirely to student learning and interaction, Haas School Dean Rich Lyons announced Thursday.

The North Academic Building, as it will be known, will have state-of-the art technology and flexible spaces aimed at transforming the student experience. With group study rooms, flexible classrooms, an indoor/outdoor café, and a large event space with views of the San Francisco Bay, the building will be able to adapt to new forms of educational technology and learning.

This addition provides an extra 858 classroom seats, and each classroom will have the infrastructure for video streaming and capture, as well as video teleconferencing.

“The building also creates a place that will enhance our ability to teach innovative leadership concepts to our students, by providing abundant space for them to collaborate with one another as they learn in teams, and rooms for them to engage in applied innovation learning activities,” Lyons said. “This is at the core of what differentiates the Berkeley-Haas education.”

The $60 million structure will be funded with private donations from alumni and friends of the school. Ned Spieker, BS 66, managing partner of the private real estate firm Spieker Partners, was the school’s lead partner for developing the vision for this building.

The Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund; Robert G. O’Donnell, BS 65 and MBA 66, retired senior VP and director of Capital Research and Management Company; and the late Barclay Simpson, BS 43, who founded and chaired Simpson Manufacturing Co.; among others, also have contributed significant gifts to the campaign.

Designed by the global architectural firm Perkins+Will, the project will achieve at least certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold status in recognition of its environmentally conscious design, construction, operation, and maintenance. Construction should conclude in fall 2016.

“This new academic building will readily support and improve both on-campus and technology-enabled learning for our undergraduate and graduate students and enable the school to keep pace with rapid changes in the delivery of management education,” said Lyons. “The goal of the new facility is to create the best, most up to date learning experience for our students. It’s all about them.”