![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/NewBuilding-87.jpg\")
Floor-to-ceiling windows and exposed mass timber are a feature throughout the building, creating a warmer, naturally lit feeling than many traditional classrooms. <\/p>\nThere\u2019s not a bad seat in the state-of-the-art 400-person auditorium. A naturally lit classroom feels more like a rustic retreat than a standard space to learn calculus. The fifth-floor conference room abandons any notion of a drab meeting space.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When classes kick off the fall semester on Monday, a significant number of them will gather in a vibrant new space in the center of campus, the Undergraduate Academic Building. Featuring 25 general assignment classrooms, each with space for up to 32 students, and a larger 108-person classroom, the building will be a central hub for students, hosting 10% of the general assignment classrooms on campus.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery detail of this space was designed to invite connection and engagement,\u201d said Oliver O\u2019Reilly, UC Berkeley\u2019s vice provost for undergraduate education, adding that the project raised the bar for new buildings on campus. \u201cThis building represents a lasting investment in the heart of the Berkeley undergraduate journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
Floor-to-ceiling windows and exposed mass timber are a feature throughout the building, creating a warmer, naturally lit feeling than many traditional classrooms. <\/p>\n
Brandon S\u00e1nchez Mejia\/UC Berkeley<\/p>\n
The first, second and third floors all contain general assignment classrooms, each with floor-to-ceiling windows and exposed mass timber, a cutting-edge, lighter, safer and more energy-efficient alternative building material to traditional concrete and steel. Designed by LMN Architects, the building is LEED Gold certified and is all-electric, featuring cross-ventilated classrooms \u2014 with air conditioning for hot days \u2014 as well as operable windows and ceiling fans.<\/p>\n
In addition, approximately 80 offices on the fourth and fifth floors will serve the College of Letters and Science Undergraduate Division.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And then there\u2019s the auditorium. Beyond a vibrant and sprawling mural depicting 41 influential women<\/a> with ties to campus, the first floor descends into a below-ground lecture hall. A wavy ceiling gives the room a futuristic feeling and enhances the acoustics, while projectors pointed at each wall ensure presentations are visible from every seat.\u00a0<\/p>\n Brandon S\u00e1nchez Mejia\/UC Berkeley<\/p>\n Those without classes or meetings in the building can take advantage of the expansive terrace above the auditorium overlooking Strawberry Creek and Grinnell Glade. With benches, picnic tables and charging outlets, the terrace creates new open space in a particularly tranquil area.\u00a0<\/p>\n Construction, which began in 2023<\/a>, required removing a surface-level parking lot. The state provided most of the funds for the building, with the campus contributing about $20 million for utilities and site infrastructure.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are grateful to the state of California for its contribution to making this extraordinary building a reality for our students,\u201d O\u2019Reilly said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Brandon S\u00e1nchez Mejia\/UC Berkeley<\/p>\n The Undergraduate Academic Building is among a series of major developments on campus this fall. Also opening is the Barbara and Gerson Bakar Gateway building<\/a> on the campus\u2019s north end. Housing the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society, the expansive facility includes research laboratories, classrooms and social kitchens, along with collaborative space for more than 1,300 faculty, students and researchers.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/NewBuilding-11.jpg\")
The state-of-the-art 400-person auditorium features high-tech projectors, with ceiling panels that enhance the room\u2019s acoustics and create a more modern design aesthetic. <\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/NewBuilding-116.jpg\")
With benches, picnic tables and charging outlets, the landscaped terrace near the facility\u2019s southwest entrance creates new open space in a particularly tranquil area of campus.<\/p>\n