Bid Farewell to Haas Courtyard with Chalk Art, Dec. 10

Did you meet your sweetheart in the Haas courtyard? Hatch a great idea there for a new business? Solve a vexing research problem? Lure classmates into your favorite club? Or dance under the stars at consumption functions? Come share your memories and bid farewell to our Haas courtyard as we know it on December 10 at 4 p.m.

Nontoxic chalk will be available to express your memories in color, mark places of particular significance, or simply to paint a happy face on the concrete before the jack hammers arrive for demolition on December 15. Cookies and refreshments will be served. The entire Haas community is welcome to participate.

December 15 will mark the beginning of the $2 million renovation of our courtyard to create a new hub of campus-wide exchange. The renovation is part of the school’s strategic plan to transform the Haas campus. It will provide more flexible space for student clubs, career fairs, alumni events, social occasions, and making everyday connections. The new courtyard is expected to open in April.

Important information on the impact of construction follows below.

Construction Timelines:

You will see fencing and other equipment start to arrive about a week before demolition begins on December 15. The courtyard will remain fully accessible through the last day of finals on December 14.

The first phase of construction will be the loudest and by far the most disruptive, which is why it is scheduled to begin over winter curtailment. However major noise and disruption are expected to continue well into January. Crews will be working six days a week – 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturdays – until the project is completed in April.

Access:

The entire courtyard, including the staircase and entrance by the Fisher Gate, will be closed from December 15 until completion of the project. Haas buildings will be accessible through the following entrances:

  • Cheit Hall: all west entrances on the first floor (opposite Minor Hall).
  • Student Services Building: Cronk Gate entrance, south loading dock of the Student Services Building, and courtyard third-level entrance by the library and computer center.
  • Bakar Faculty Building: Cronk Gate entrance, north loading dock, and the courtyard third-level entrance near the Graduate Lounge.

The fourth-floor bridge over the Fisher Gate will provide access between Cheit Hall and the Bakar Faculty Building/Student Services Building, including the library, computer center, and student lounge areas.

Classes will be held throughout construction. The library, computer center, Bank of America Forum, and café will remain open. The café will also set up a satellite café cart on the first level of Cheit Hall in C122, which will operate from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.

To provide outdoor meeting spaces during construction, the Haas School will set up tables and chairs in the plaza between Cronk Gate and Gayley Road as well as on the third-level landing of the courtyard staircase near the library and computer center entrance. Access to the courtyard will be blocked off just below this third-level landing.

Communication:

Signage and maps around the Haas campus will help direct the flow of travel. Look for weekly emails from [email protected], provided by Facilities Director Mike Pivonka, for updates and alerts on what to expect for the coming week. Additional highlights can be obtained via Twitter by following @HaasCourtyard, thanks to Rocky Moran in academic planning. Jen Sang will also continue to serve as construction liaison between the contractor and the Haas School. The vision for the new courtyard was designed by Perkins & Will. The designs will be implemented by Webcor.

This project is part of the Transforming the Haas Campus initiative, a central element of the Haas School’s strategic plan. More information about the new courtyard design is available at haas.berkeley.edu/strategicplan/strategicfocus/transform/courtyard.html

For further questions, please contact [email protected]

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