The Richmond Field Station is an academic teaching and research off-site facility located 6 miles northwest of the UC Berkeley Central Campus on the San Francisco Bay. The RFS has been used primarily for large-scale engineering research since 1950. The 170-acre property consists of 100-acres of uplands with the remainder being marsh or bay lands.
Current Uses
The RFS property currently accommodates a range of research and resource conservation values. With more than 500,000 assignable square feet of research space, the site houses the eleven floor 7.4 million volume storage capacity Northern Regional Library Facility which serves as an archive for lesser used books for four northern UC campuses, one of the world’s largest earthquake shaking tables, sophisticated test facilities for advanced transportation research, and a regional laboratory for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The open areas of the Field Station are also prized for their research and habitat value. The site contains one of the largest and best preserved remaining areas of native coastal grasslands that were once prevalent throughout the Bay Area. The adjacent stands of eucalyptus provide a home for wintering monarch butterflies and nesting raptors. The bay marsh and mudflats provide additional habitat for a variety of flora and fauna, including the endangered California Clapper Rail, as well as an opportunity for the Berkeley campus to use these areas for teaching and research.
Aerial Photos
- RFS Aerial Photo March 27, 2008
- RFS Aerial Photo March 27, 2008 with topography- marsh and southern RFS
- RFS Aerial Photo March 27, 2008 with topography- northern RFS
- 2014 Berkeley Global Campus
- 2014 Berkeley Global Campus with historic Cap Company buildings
- 2014 Richmond Field Station with historic Cap Company buildings
- 2014 Richmond Southeast Shoreline aerial