We are proud to announce that two of UC Berkeley’s recent capital projects have been recognized for excellence by the California Preservation Foundation). In a testament to the university’s commitment to honoring its architectural history while also building for the future, UC Berkeley Substation 8 and the Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship Hub have both been named winners of the 2026 Preservation Design Awards.
These prestigious statewide awards celebrate the very best in historic preservation, restoration, and adaptive reuse. Both UC Berkeley projects were selected in the Restoration category by a jury of top professionals in architecture, engineering, and history.
Honoring Our Past, Powering Our Future
Substation 8, the university's original 1904 powerhouse designed by the legendary John Galen Howard, has been brilliantly restored to serve a new generation. After decades of being underutilized and access-restricted as a seismic risk, the building has been rehabilitated to serve as a vital component of the campus's Clean Energy Campus initiative.
By seismically retrofitting this historic structure rather than demolishing it, the university significantly reduced the project’s carbon footprint. The project returns the building to its original purpose—powering the campus—within a new vision for a fully electrified campus that utilizes clean energy to heat and cool our buildings. This restoration included meticulous work on the exterior brick masonry, the clay tile roof, and the historic WPA-era mosaic murals that grace the east facade.
Mosaic tile mural that added to the shallow, arched niches on the eastern façade of Switch Station 8 (formerly the Old Art Gallery building) as a WPA public art project. (Page & Turnbull / UC Berkeley)
The Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship Hub is a stunning example of Julia Morgan’s residential architecture. Originally built in 1909, this former single-family home has been restored to provide an intimate, collaborative space for student innovators.
The project focused on preserving the building’s character-defining woodwork and leaded windows while modernizing its infrastructure. Significant upgrades included a full conversion to all-electric systems and the addition of discreet accessibility features. By renewing this historic building, the university provides a rare opportunity for students to experience Julia Morgan’s design sensibility firsthand, offering a welcoming, human-scale environment for the exchange of ideas amidst a changing campus landscape.
Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship Hub is a winner for the 2026 Preservation Design Award in the category of Restoration. (Schaf Photo Studios / UC Berkeley)
The Art of the Balance: Building the Future, Honoring the Past
At UC Berkeley, stewardship of our physical campus requires a thoughtful and intentional balance between two equally important goals: honoring our architectural heritage and building for the future.
To remain at the forefront of global research and education, we must continue to develop cutting-edge laboratories, modern classrooms, and student housing facilities that meet the rigorous demands of the 21st-century. While the need for modern facilities sometimes necessitates difficult decisions regarding older structures, we approach every project with the goal of harmonizing new development with strategic preservation.
The success of Substation 8 and the Haas Entrepreneurship Hub demonstrates how these two priorities can coexist. These awards serve as a validation of our commitment to managing this complex balance—renewing the historic spirit of our past where possible, while ensuring our campus remains a dynamic, state-of-the-art environment for future generations. We are proud to move forward with a campus that is as innovative as it is storied.
For more information on the awards and to see a full list of this year's winners, visit the California Preservation Foundation website.