Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center - ELS

Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center

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Architect

James Plachek, renovation by ELS Architecture and Urban Design

Location

Berkeley, California

Date

1940, 2001

Building Type

government office building, city hall

Construction System

reinforced concrete and steel frame with seismic base isolation

Sustainability

Adaptive reuse, energy efficiency, daylighting, natural ventilation, high thermal mass - GEEB

Climate

mild temperate

Context

urban

Style

Art Deco

Notes

Natural ventilation, extensive daylighting, use of thermal mass, advanced seismic system, new penthouse meeting rooms and roof terrace

Images

Administrative work area	Exterior overview	Exterior overview
Back or courtyard entry	Building street-side entry	Exterior overview
Natural lighting in circulation stairway	Preserved marble lobby	Preserved marble lobby
Glazed wall allows daylighting through conference room	Daylighting in stairway	Sensor-controlled lighting in central area
Main entry facade	Typical facade bay	Roof terrace and penthouse operable windows
Looking down into park-side cortyard	Gateway of park-side courtyard, from above	Public hallway with conversation nook
Glazed interior wall of conference room	Conference room interior	Recycling area built into office partitions plan
Operable windows in staff work area	Seismic retrofit base isolation pad placement	Seismic retrofit steel and concrete structure, and base isolation pad
City councilor office interior facade	Meeting room with operable windows and shades	Operable windows and shades fin staff work area
User-accessible lighting and fan controls with operating notes	Lighting sensor and "Open Windows" signal light	Generous daylighting in stairwell
Preserved building lobby	Preserved building lobby	Park-side courtyard stair and entry
Preserved bronze park-side entry doors	Daylighting in restroom	Sensor-controlled interior lighting
Operable work area window and local radiator	Park side courtyard with sculpture and entry	Rooftop weather station
Daylit public hallway	Hallway conversation nook	Daylit hallway in city council area
Interior glazed wall transmits daylight	Seismic retrofit base isolation failure feet

Drawings

Drawing, Street-side Elevation

Drawing, Longtitudinal Section and Park-side Courtyard Elevation

3D Model

3D Computer Model (DesignWorkshop format)
— Spatial Model —

Model Viewing Instructions

Discussion

Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Commentary

"It is simple yet elegant and complete. This is a great structure with a historical renovation that just keeps getting better and better. Common sense items such as thermal mass, ceiling fans, and natural ventilation were designed into the project that over time will have a great benefit for the building's operations and maintenance - especially because it exceeds title 24 standards."
— Savings by Design Awards Jury, 2001

"It's especially significant, as the building's manager, that we are minimally impacted by rolling blackouts. When most office buildings of this size would be vacated in the event of a blackout, it's not an issue here because of our natural daylighting and natural ventilation."
— Rene Cardinaux, Director of Public Works, City of Berkeley

Renovation Particulars

Restored historic operable steel windows and replaced existing perimeter steam radiators with efficient hot water radiators

Exposed concrete structure in open corridors for thermal mass

Installed high efficiency compact fluorescent lighting, central ceiling fans, photometric controls, motion sensors, and programmable thermostats

Restored historic lobby marble, bronze and terrazzo finishes

Replicated historic light fixtures throughout using energy efficient flourescent lamps

Preserved exterior concrete facades, including twin west-facing glazed stair towers

Added public space at penthouse level, with shared roof terrace offering views of the Bay

Details

Savings by Design Honor Award 2001
California Historic Preservation Award 2001
Special Commendation Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, 2001

Address: 2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, California

Design Team

Original Architect James Plachek

Renovation Architect ELS Architecture and Urban Design

Structural Engineer Forell/Elsesser

Mechanical Engineer Ove Arup and Partners USA

Electrical Engineer The Engineering Enterprise (TEE)

Environmental Consultant Simon & Associates

Resources

Sources on Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center

Search the RIBA architecture library catalog for more references on Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center

Web Resources

Links on Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center

Civic Center Retrofit and Rennovation — at the city's own web site

Civic Center Sustainability — at the city's own web site

MLK Jr. Civic Center Savings by Design Award — at the Savings by Design web site

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