UC Berkeley Haas School of Business

Chou Hall, dedicated by Janet Napolitano and declared the “greenest academic building in the United States,” caps the two-phase reconceptualization of the Haas School of Business and updates architect Charles Moore’s final work.

The building complex, nestled in the hills at UC Berkeley, embodies many of Moore’s postmodern themes, and includes a rambling series of courtyards and rooms stepping down a steep slope. His courtyard design offered frequent spatial divisions defined by raised planters, which incorporate a variety of curves and angles. While the informality of these planters fostered spatial intimacy, it no longer accommodated the diversity of programming required by the growing school. To modernize Moore’s intimate courtyard spaces, strengthen the civic core of the campus, and accommodate a growing student population, GLS focused on openness and programmatic flexibility, so that the business school could accommodate large gatherings such as commencements and fundraisers, while improving the heart of the school as an intimate civic and collegial space.