丨美国加利福尼亚丨Morris Adjmi Architects

Morris Adjmi Architects

UC Berkeley Anchor House Dormitory

438,000 square feet

14 stories, 245 units

Berkeley, California

2024

Anchor House is a transformative dormitory project that sets a new standard for student residential living. Located just one block from UC Berkeley's campus and three blocks from the Berkeley BART station, the mixed-use dormitory is designed and programmed to help the University's transfer students thrive academically, socially, and culturally.

Anchor House is a state-of-the-art residential building located at the prime gateway location across the street from the western edge of UC Berkeley's campus. The mixed-use project reimagines the student residential experience by providing a transformational design tailored to the unique needs of transfer students, many of whom come from low-income backgrounds and are often first-generation college students.

MA designed the dormitory as a transition between traditional university-style neoclassical architecture and Berkeley’s eclectic downtown fabric. Charcoal-hued hand-laid Interstate Brick is found on the building’s base, beginning at ground level and continuing toward internal courtyard areas. Floors four through twelve feature a lighter, warm gray brick, alongside a metal grid expression. Floors thirteen and fourteen have a dark, metal two-story single bay expression.

Within, the dormitory program consists of studio, two-, and four-bedroom apartments. Each fully furnished unit features private, single bedrooms and built-in desks in front of the 7'x7' windows to access natural light and air. The apartments also include full kitchens with all major appliances, including a washer and dryer.

Designed as a hub of connection and belonging for transfer students, Anchor House offers residents multiple community spaces and resources. The building has two event spaces with accompanying catering kitchens, a culinary classroom for Rausser College of Natural Resources to promote healthy and sustainable cooking, and a "maker space" run by the Berkeley Art Studio, with classes for students and the community. An expansive indoor/outdoor fitness center is also be available to residents, along with a rooftop vegetable garden, secure bicycle storage, a bike maintenance shop, and lounges, lockers, and activity spaces for residents and other Berkeley students who commute to school.

"This project was about so much more than adding a contextual building to Berkeley's evolving skyline. Our ambition for Anchor House was to create a place of community and belonging. A place where students would feel safe, inspired, and supported." Morris Adjmi

Anchor House has been designed to meet LEED Gold certification requirements, as well as Scope 1 & 2 Carbon Neutrality by 2025 and Scope 3 by 2050. Sustainable design features include sun shading; green roofs & courtyard (including a heat island); climate-appropriate landscaping; a high-performance building façade; an all-electric building + Green Power purchase; rooftop solar panels; high efficiency LED lighting; long-term bicycle storage and electric vehicle charging.

Before

After

Construction

Awards

The American Architecture Awards, Honorable Mention - 2025

SARA California Design Awards, Award of Excellence - 2025

Architizer A+ Awards, Special Mention, Higher Education and Research Facilities - 2025

National Association of Home Builders, Best in American Living Awards, Student Housing - 2025

Press

Morris Adjmi Architects’ Anchor House Welcomes Transfer Students to UC Berkeley | Architectural Record

Morris Adjmi's Anchor House Helps New Berkeley Students Feel at Home | Archinect

UC Berkeley Gives Transfer Students a Purpose-Built Home on Campus | Bloomberg

Berkeley Has A Huge New Dorm. The City's Downtown Will Never Be the Same| San Francisco Chronicle

Introducing UC Berkeley’s Anchor House, A Remarkable Gift Built Especially for Transfer Students | Berkeley News

On Move-In Day at UC Berkeley's New Anchor House, Students Stunned by Opulence