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UC Berkeley Switch Station 8 Receives 2026 California Preservation Award
Interactive Resources, Inc. is the architect and structural engineer for Rehabilitation and Seismic Upgrade on the Historic Campus Powerhouse (Switch Station 8) at the University of California, Berkeley. The project is the recipient of a 2026 California Preservation Award from the California Preservation Foundation.
This prestigious award recognizes outstanding achievements in historic preservation and celebrates projects that thoughtfully restore and revitalize California’s architectural heritage. The Switch Station 8 project exemplifies Interactive Resources’ integrated approach to architecture, structural engineering, and historic preservation, which brings new life to a significant campus landmark while supporting critical infrastructure improvements.
Other key team members include the general contractor, Webcor and the electrical design prime P2S. The historic evaluation was performed by Architectural Resources Group.
As part of UC Berkeley’s campus-wide electrification initiative, Interactive Resources was engaged to provide architectural, historic preservation, and structural engineering services for a new high-voltage switch station. When choosing a new site for the facility proved challenging, the team proposed an innovative solution: the adaptive reuse of a nearby 1904 powerhouse building, originally designed by renowned campus architect John Galen Howard.
Previously red-tagged due to seismic risk, the building, also known as the Old Art Gallery, underwent a comprehensive feasibility assessment before UC Berkeley advanced the project. The result is a restoration that returns the structure to its original purpose as a power station, now serving as Switch Station #8.
Throwback Thursday: VHS footage from 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake Investigation
How’s this for a serious Throwback Thursday – more than 30 years ago, following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, Interactive Resources, Inc. was enlisted on an emergency basis to evaluate the condition of Candlestick Park, which was hosting the third game of the World...
Happy Holidays from Interactive Resources, Inc.
Annual gift giving to those in need has been a holiday tradition at Interactive Resources, Inc. for many years. This year, we worked with Verde Elementary School to fulfill the Christmas wish lists for five Richmond families. Presents were hand-delivered to the...
AIA East Bay Spotlights 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center
Are you curious about cannabis dispensaries, what they look like, and how they are designed? In collaboration with the AIA East Bay, we recently hosted a site tour of one of our dispensary projects, 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center. This project entailed the renovation...
Loma Prieta 30 Years Later
October 17, 1989, I was in my Point Richmond office talking to a client in a high rise in San Francisco. All of a sudden, he yelled, “holy shit,” and I heard crashing in the background (It was his bookcases falling over). The phone went dead. A few seconds later, it...
UC Berkeley’s Women’s Faculty Club Gets a New Roof of its Own*
Interactive Resources, Inc. has a long and successful practice of providing historic preservation services. We have designed and overseen the construction of hundreds of historic rehabilitation projects. One such recent project is for the University of California,...
Case Study: BART Waterproofing Project Saves Tens of Millions of Gallons of Drinking Water Annually
By Thomas K. Butt, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C From 2011 to 2016, I was project manager for Interactive Resources, Inc. on a project for BART to repair extensive leaks into the BART Powell Street Station that had plagued BART for decades and had stymied continuous previous...
Who was Frank J. Hagel?
Interactive Resources, Inc. recently completed a six-year-long project for The Frank Hagel Federal Building in Richmond, California. The main tenant of this six-story structure is the Social Security Administration, and Interactive Resources, Inc. was retained by the...
Envelope Study & Improvements for UC Berkeley’s University Hall
We recently completed a study for UC Berkeley’s University Hall. This seven-story tower and adjoining two-story annex at the west edge of campus, designed by the well-known west coast firm Welton Becet & Associates and constructed in 1959, originally housed the...
Next generation’s creativity on display at kids’ art show at Interactive Resources, Inc.
Tomorrow, Saturday, June 1st, we play host to an open-house pop-up exhibit of kids' art from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Artist and teacher Camille Zulpo's 23 students have transformed our front lobby and conference rooms into a colorful display of vibrant creativity. The...
Meet Marilou Sasai and Michael McCombe!
We're pleased to introduce two new team members: Michael McCombe and Marilou Sasai. Michael McCombe has more than 20 years of experience in CADD drafting and is working toward his architectural license. He is a designer/drafter who cares about exceptional results. At...