Crossroads Student Services Building and Dining Facility

University of California, Berkeley’s new 90,000 sf, Crossroads Centralized Dining & Student Services Building consolidating functions once scattered about the campus. The Residential Services component is a four-story office tower housing administration, registration, Cal Rentals, early childhood education, human resources, student services, and residential and family living, “fused” with a new dining commons. “The Crossroads” combines and replaces two existing dining halls and operates as a marche-style servery offering several “platforms” with a variety of menu choices in a self-serve configuration. The dining facility, more public in its massing, occupies a prominent corner of the site while the residential student services tower acts as a taller rectangular backdrop for the dining hall.

Using a sustainable approach, the design maximizes the introduction of daylight and minimizes the use of “applied” decoration. Polished concrete floors, plaster walls, and creative acoustical ceilings establish a simple look that is durable and easily maintained. The architectural sunshades at the Student Services Building are constructed of perforated metal panels placed vertically adjacent to each window with the intention of reducing the heat gain at the interior in the late morning and early afternoon hours. This assists in reducing the mechanical cooling loads for the facility.

Size 90,000 SF
Location  Berkeley, CA
Year 2003
Client University of California, Berkeley