The Sutardja Dai Hall building at UC Berkeley is primarily a research facility. The outer entry doors are unlocked and open to the campus community Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Outside of those hours, doors to the building will be locked but remain accessible with a Cal 1 Card or another UCPD-issued card key. Research collaboratory areas are accessible by card key only.
To request card key or metal key access to the building or specific areas, please review the below building rules and fill out the Building Access Request Form. Card keys will be activated within two full weeks after receiving your completed form, and metal key requests can take two to three weeks.
Building Rules
The Sutardja Dai Hall building on the UC Berkeley campus is for appropriate use and enjoyment by students, faculty, staff and visitors. The following policies have been established to promote the safety and security of all occupants and visitors:
All visitors and occupants are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and collegial manner, consistent with the UC Berkeley Code of Conduct. The building and its workspaces are a shared environment, and all occupants and visitors must be respectful of their neighbors’ need for a quiet and focused atmosphere, especially in collaboratory spaces.
- Noise: Keep noise levels to a minimum. Use headphones for audio and take phone calls in designated common areas or outside.
- Odors: Be mindful of strong scents, including perfumes and food.
- Sleeping: Sleeping overnight in the building is not allowed.
- Emergencies: Adhere to all campus fire safety rules including prompt and orderly evacuation in case of an alarm. Read the campus fire alarm instructions for more information. Intentionally initiating a false fire alarm is a violation of California Penal Code Section 148.4a punishable by a $1,000 fine or one-year jail sentence.
- Smoking: Smoking is not allowed in or around Sutardja Dai Hall, as UC Berkeley is a smoke- and tobacco-free campus.
- Animals: animals are not to be brought into buildings. In accordance with federal ADA guidelines, Sutardja Dai Hall welcomes individuals accompanied by a service animal. Service animals are permitted in all areas of the building where the general public is allowed to go. The ADA defines a service animal as an animal trained to perform specific tasks directly related to an individual’s disability. Emotional Support Animals are animals whose sole comfort, companion, or emotional well-being are not considered service animals under ADA. Due to the lack of specialized task training, emotional support, therapy, and comfort animals are not permitted inside this building.
- Postings: postings may not be taped to walls anywhere inside or outside the building, including the elevators. Sutardja Dai Hall has posting boards available in the 2nd-Floor Lobby.
- All postings must be dated with the date initially hung. Any posting without a date will be removed.
- Regular postings have a shelf life of two weeks.
- Event announcement postings expire the day after the event.
- No solicitation postings are permitted.
- Postings should have something to do with the research themes of the building occupants.
To maintain a clean, safe, and pest-free work environment, additional care is required when storing food and personal items at workspaces.
- Clutter and storage limits:
- Desk spaces are intended for active work use only. Excessive accumulation of personal items, boxes, bags, paper stacks, or unused equipment is not permitted, particularly if it:
- Blocks walkways or access paths
- Interferes with custodial cleaning
- Creates a safety, fire, or pest concern
- Results in a cluttered or unkempt appearance that detracts from the professional and welcoming environment of shared spaces
- Items identified by SDH Facilities as contributing to excessive clutter, poor appearance, or unsafe conditions may be required to be removed or reorganized within a specified timeframe. Failure to comply may result in cleaning fees or revocation of access privileges.
- Desk spaces are intended for active work use only. Excessive accumulation of personal items, boxes, bags, paper stacks, or unused equipment is not permitted, particularly if it:
- Food storage: Food may be consumed at desks, but all food must be stored in sealed, pest-resistant containers. Open food, loose snacks, or food stored in drawers, backpacks, or open containers is not permitted.
- Overnight food restrictions: Perishable food items may not be left at desks overnight, including but not limited to cooked food, fruit, dairy products, or takeout containers. This is critical due to ongoing pest management concerns in the building.
- Rodent and pest prevention: Sutardja Dai Hall has experienced rodent and insect activity in the past. Leaving food, crumbs, or excessive clutter at desks increases the risk of pest issues and affects the entire shared workspace. Occupants may be asked to remove items immediately if conditions pose a pest concern.
- Alcohol: No alcohol may be consumed or distributed on the premises unless at an event with a valid UCPD-approved alcohol permit.
- Waste disposal: All waste must be disposed of in the appropriate recycling, compost and landfill bins provided. Personal trash should not be allowed to accumulate.
- Do not store chemical or lab materials in any non-lab areas, including desk and office spaces.
- Corrective action: If a desk area is identified as contributing to pest activity, excessive clutter, or sanitation issues, or anything listed in the above, and/or deemed unhealthy or unsafe by SDH facilities personnel, the occupant will be notified and required to correct the issue within 48 hours. Failure to do so may result in cleaning fees or revocation of access privileges.
Maintaining a secure environment is a shared responsibility. All are expected to follow university access and security protocols to ensure the safety of people, property, and research within Sutardja Dai Hall.
- Personal belongings: Occupants are responsible for securing their personal and valuable items. Do not leave laptops, phones, wallets, or other valuables unattended at desk spaces.
- Building access: Do not prop open secured doors or grant access to individuals you do not know. All occupants must use their own assigned access cards or credentials to enter secured areas.
- Authorized use only: Desk spaces and associated work areas are for authorized SDH-affiliated occupants only. Allowing unauthorized individuals including friends, family members, or non-affiliated students to occupy, use, or remain in desk areas is not permitted.
- No lending or sharing of access: Occupants may not lend access cards, keys, or otherwise allow “tailgating” into secured areas. Each individual must enter the building using their own authorized credentials.
- Guests and students: Short-term guests must be accompanied at all times and must comply with all building policies. Desk spaces may not be used by guests or students as informal study areas, meeting spaces, or workstations. Guests may not use desks, computers, or storage areas.
- Responsibility for guests: Occupants are responsible for the conduct of any guests they bring into the building and for ensuring their compliance with SDH policies.
- Suspicious activity: Any suspicious behavior, security concerns, or unauthorized use of space should be reported promptly to building management or UCPD.
Failure to comply with security and access policies may result in corrective action, including revocation of workspace privileges.
SDH workspace furniture such as desks, chairs, storage cabinets or cubicle walls are university property and must be treated with care.
- Standard use: Furniture is provided for standard office use. It should not be stood upon, used as a cart, or otherwise used for purposes for which it was not designed.
- Loose items are not permitted on top of overhead cabinets as they may pose a safety risk in case of earthquakes and potential for items to fall and cause injury. Any such items may be removed without notice.
- Existing damage: Occupants with assigned workspaces are expected to inspect and report any pre-existing damage to their desk, chair, cabinets or storage furniture, or cubicle to building management within the first week of occupancy. The occupant and their affiliated PI will be held financially responsible for any damage incurred afterwards.
- Personal furniture: Personal furniture is not allowed inside the building, including but not limited to couches, mattresses, hammocks or futons. Any such furniture found will be removed without notice. Chairs are allowed, but if SDH facilities personnel deems the chair to pose a safety risk or interferes with the day-to-day operations of the building occupants, owners will be given 48 hours to remove it. Upon the occupant’s departure, it must be removed.
- Responsibility for damage: While normal wear and tear is expected, occupants and their supervising PI will be held financially responsible for any damage to the provided furniture that results from negligence, misuse or intentional acts. This includes, but is not limited to, deep scratches, gouges, broken parts, stains, cut or torn cables, or unauthorized alterations.
- Alterations: No permanent alterations, including drilling, painting or affixing permanent adhesives to furniture, are permitted.
- Personal items: Building management is not responsible for the loss or damage of personal items left at the desk space.
Occupants with assigned workspaces, upon the conclusion of their assignment or departure from the university, must follow the proper vacating procedures:
- Notification: Inform building management at sdhfacilities@berkeley.edu of your departure date at least two weeks in advance.
- Removal of items: All personal belongings must be removed from the desk, drawers and surrounding area.
- Keys: Occupants are to return any keys to doors or storage cabinets that are in their possession to the building manager.
- Condition: The workspace must be left in a clean and undamaged condition, identical to or better than its state upon arrival. Desk, cabinet and furniture keys must be returned.
- Final inspection: A final inspection will be conducted by building management. Any costs associated with cleaning or repairing damage beyond normal wear and tear will be charged to the departing occupant’s associated supervisor/PI.
If you have questions about Sutardja Dai Hall building access, please email sdhfacilities@berkeley.edu.