The University of California, Berkeley asked Smith Group to redesign a new classroom/office/laboratory building that was already under construction in order to bring the project into budget. This building replaces an older classroom/laboratory/office building, Davis Hall, which is part of the College of Engineering’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. The new building includes an auditorium and classrooms, engineering laboratories, faculty and staff offices and special facilities for an interdisciplinary, multicampus research program, CITRIS, the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society. The CITRIS program was established to create solutions to large-scale social and commercial problems that affect our daily quality of life.

The challenge of the design was working with the Art & Craft context of that part of the campus, but at the same time, fulfilling the rigorous requirement of a modern day high-tech research facility. Human scale elements, rich textures, and fine details are the base of the design solution in respect of the craftsman tradition.

The selection of a GFRC cladding system on the office wing provides the project a cost efficient system without compromising the design aesthetic. The flexibility of the GFRC allows the designer more freedom to manipulate different skin elements to break down scale, create more shadow lines for more depth to the façade. The highly wood grain textured and colored concrete, achieved, through specially selected and treated wood plants, the finishing touch of a refine and warmth feel.