UC Berkeley Undergraduate Academic Building (UAB)

Harris & Associates is providing comprehensive construction management services for the University of California, Berkeley's new Undergraduate Academic Building (UAB), a landmark $136.8 million project replacing the seismically deficient Evans Hall. Designed to meet today's seismic safety standards while supporting the evolving needs of higher education, the new facility brings together modern instructional spaces, student services, and administrative functions into a centralized academic hub.

Delivered through a Construction Manager/General Contractor (CMGC) at Risk contract with a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP), the project includes 27 General Assignment classrooms, a 400-seat auditorium, flexible technology-enabled learning environments, and offices for the College of Letters and Science. The project also represents a significant sustainability milestone as UC Berkeley's first mass timber building and has achieved LEED Gold certification.

Core Elements

Harris provides full-service construction management throughout preconstruction and construction, including:

• Preconstruction planning, constructability reviews, and cost estimating
• Budget management, schedule development, and risk mitigation
• Procurement support and change order management
• Construction oversight, quality assurance, and project controls
• FF&E and audiovisual systems coordination
• Stakeholder coordination with University departments, campus operations, and design teams
• Project closeout, commissioning, and operational readiness

Constructing in the heart of UC Berkeley's active campus required extensive planning to maintain daily operations while minimizing impacts to students, faculty, and staff. Harris coordinated construction logistics, access, utility protection, noise and dust mitigation, and campus safety throughout every phase of the project.

Beyond the Blueprints

Replacing a landmark academic building while the surrounding campus remained fully operational required far more than construction management—it demanded collaboration, proactive planning, and strategic problem solving.

Harris worked closely with University leadership, campus facilities, the design team, and the contractor to balance construction activities with the needs of one of the nation's busiest academic campuses. The new Undergraduate Academic Building is a central hub for undergraduate learning, featuring 27 flexible classrooms, a 400-seat auditorium, and Letters & Science Advising, while serving as the first mass timber building constructed at UC Berkeley. For the first time, the campus is using mass timber—a lighter, safer and more energy-efficient alternative to traditional concrete and steel construction. Designed to support modern teaching methods, sustainability, and accessibility, the facility represents a significant investment in the University's future and will ultimately help replace instructional space currently housed in Evans Hall.

The team's disciplined approach to cost control, schedule management, and stakeholder coordination enabled the University to successfully navigate hundreds of project changes while maintaining budget objectives and supporting delivery of one of UC Berkeley's most transformative recent capital investments. The result is a resilient, all-electric, student-focused facility that advances sustainability, enhances the undergraduate experience, and strengthens the University's long-term commitment to innovation, academic excellence, and student success.