UC Berkeley Gateway

UC Berkeley Gateway will be a high-finish destination hub for the university’s College of Computing, Data Science, and Society (CDSS) in Berkeley, Calif. This new ground-up, full buildout project will include one basement level and five above-grade floors. The 380,000 square-foot project is currently on track for LEED Gold certification, with potential to achieve Platinum certification.

As the electrical contractor, CEI will deliver a full electrical buildout, power, lighting and LV raceways. It will also install:

• Medium voltage cables that run to the building from the university’s existing substation through the existing underground infrastructure

• Three-way medium-voltage selector switches

• Two double-ended substations

• 480V and 120/208V infrastructure throughout the building

• A 400 kW genset

• Three transfer switches

• A manual transfer switch Tystar unit for future connection to a roll up generator or portable load banks

• All conduit infrastructure for security, communications and full life safety systems (fire alarm, emergency responder radio communications system and two-way communications)

• The building will include large lecture halls and event spaces that CEI will design and install special lighting and power to serve. The facility also includes robotics and drone laboratories, where CEI will install a large amount of wiremold surface raceway and overhead power/data service columns. CEI is also helping with two small data centers/computer rooms located within the building for heavy Artificial Intelligence (AI) computing.

The lighting design is being done by a high-end lighting designer who specializes in museums and theatrical lighting for performance spaces. The design’s complexity presents some challenges for CEI because of its many light coves, directional spotlights, steplights, sconces and other architecturally interesting features. Additionally, the architect wants to avoid access panels in the large central “piazza” areas on each floor. This will create a significant challenge for the CEI team because the area is dense with column-mounted architectural light fixtures, along with the ceiling-mounted general area lighting. There is also a “flying” stair with integrated step lighting in the central atrium within the piazza that connects multiple floors. UC Berkeley Gateway is scheduled for completion by February 2026.