University of Alabama at Birmingham Opens First Phase of Science and Engineering Complex

The University of Alabama at Birmingham opened the first phase of the Science and Engineering Complex in August of 2023. The $76 million facility was designed by Goodwyn Mills Cawood as a collaborative nexus for teaching and research in the basic sciences. Collocating undergraduate and graduate programs, the four-story, 145,784-sf building accommodates the departments of biology and physics, as well as providing lab and support space for the department of chemistry.

Featuring open environments illuminated by natural light, the L-shaped structure offers interactive classrooms, team learning rooms, faculty and staff offices, and project-based research labs that allow for student shadowing. Instrumentation suites are located on an isolation floor to mitigate vibration. A maker space for digital technologies offers sophisticated tools for the exploration of computational modeling, data analytics, and additive manufacturing.

UAB’s central steam and chilled water distribution systems were extended to the site to supply efficient and economical heating and cooling services. Ground was broken in September of 2021 on the project, which was built by Hoar Construction with Lord Aeck Sargent as laboratory design consultant. A subsequent $84 million phase of development will house the School of Engineering, while phase three will create a centralized home for the Department of Chemistry.