Bakar Labs for Energy & Materials is a new five-story, approximately 145,000 sq. ft. innovation facility in UC Berkeley’s Berkeley Innovation Zone that will serve as a world-class incubator for up to 75 early-stage companies focused on energy, materials, and climate solutions.

The facade design for Bakar Labs for Energy & Materials integrates multiple high-performance systems to express the project’s climate-tech mission. The main feature wall is composed of building-integrated photovoltaic glass, utilizing highly transparent thin-film amorphous silicon panels and high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon panels as a screen wall behind shared outdoor spaces to generate on-site energy while shading occupants. A custom high-performance unitized curtain wall with triple-silver solar control coating incorporates BIPV sunshades and light shelves on the south elevation to maximize daylight penetration and reduce glare and solar heat gain. Custom thin-brick–faced precast panels articulate the laboratory zones, while highly transparent ground-floor glazing maintains a strong visual and physical connection with the Berkeley community. Together, these systems support the project’s overall sustainability objectives and accommodate the program’s need for flexibility and a distinctive identity within the emerging cluster of Bakar buildings in the Innovation Zone.

Heintges is providing building envelope consulting services during ongoing design and construction phases, including Building Enclosure Commissioning Services (BECx).