BDB Expands, Transforms Berkeley Building into Housing

Led by Tallal Bhutta, founder and CEO, BDB Construction was engaged by their repeat client, owner and operator FOUND Study, a national provider of affordable, community-centered student and intern housing, for a fast-paced overhaul of the former Varsity Berkeley apartment building. The move-in date for occupants, almost all students at the University of California, Berkeley, is August 1st, a short two months after BDB Construction began the transformation.

Featuring private and shared suites with in-home appliances and ensuite bathrooms as well as new plank flooring, casework and countertops, among other upgrades and strategic installations, the 79-unit project offers attractively reimagined student residences and amenities. The project allows the area’s university students to “live off-campus with FOUND Study Downtown Berkeley — social spaces, fully furnished and flexible,” according to the owner, adding that the new residents “join thousands of students in enjoying comfortable single and co-living rooms around the United States.”

“We are pleased to expand our student housing portfolio in a prime area close to the University of California, Berkeley, offering affordable and modern living with excellent amenities and flexible leasing options,” says Andrew Olsen, Managing Director at Hawkins Way Capital, the fully vertically integrated real estate company behind the successful FOUND Study brand. “This builds on our strategic goal to deliver the best possible student housing solutions across the United States in urban markets where they are needed most.”

Located just off Shattuck Avenue, Downtown Berkeley’s main thoroughfare, the six-story student community stands a few minutes’ walk from the campus of UC Berkeley. With views of scenic San Francisco Bay, the renovated structure builds on a robust concrete podium and underground parking originally constructed in 2015.

Known for short-fused project timelines and speed-to-market advantages, BDB Construction Enterprise was selected to lead the West Coast construction project for their ability to turn around 76 apartment renovations in only six weeks. Fully completed in just 60 days, the renovation process highlights the firm’s track record of innovation and lightning-fast success in an often slow-moving industry.

“Experience and occupant reviews show that high-quality finishes and fixtures make a huge difference in demonstrating value for student residents, translating into expedited leasing and occupancy,” says BDB’s Bhutta, who holds advanced degrees in construction management and structural and civil engineering. “We made this the focus of our construction plan, and we commit to involvement in the earliest planning phases so that all stakeholders and trades are aligned on goals, process, and schedule.”

While working on FOUND Study Downtown Berkeley, across the country BDB Construction Enterprise is also reinventing a former 492-key hotel at 99 Washington Street in New York City’s Financial District to become a highly innovative, 650-bed student housing complex that will stand as the world’s tallest. Other projects underway for the same owner and developer include a dormitory-style redevelopment of University Centre in Newark, N.J. In addition, BDB Construction has also recently completed major conversion projects in Midtown Manhattan and in Providence, R.I.

“We are very pleased to be working in California for the first time, and we hope to find more opportunities here in the coming years,” adds Bhutta.