UAB Celebrates Grand Opening Of University Hall This Week

BIRMINGHAM, AL — A new building on the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus is set to officially open this week. University Hall, the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified building at UAB, will celebrate its grand opening at 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 22.

The $39 million, 109,110-square-foot facility will house seven UAB College of Arts and Sciences departments: anthropology, computer science, English, foreign languages and literatures, mathematics, philosophy, and social work — serving more than 50 percent of UAB students through one of its 29 majors and 19 departments. All freshmen, regardless of their majors, are taught by arts and sciences faculty for their core classes.

UAB has seen its campus grow exponentially in the last decade as its student body grows as well.

"The rapid growth of our undergraduate and graduate programs in the College of Arts and Sciences necessitated additional modern teaching facilities and technologies," said UAB President Ray L. Watts. "This beautiful new facility will transform our educational areas in the college. The faculty, staff, leadership, students, community supporters, alumni and Board of Trustees worked together with us to make this project become a reality, and they are to be commended for their hard work to help provide this world-class, environmentally friendly and visually stunning educational facility."

The LEED-certified building features campus views, and the landscape includes a bridge that crosses a bioswale — natural solutions to storm water management — integrating sustainability with the user experience. The tiered patios feature seated walls and furniture that overlook the bioswales and the heart of the Campus Green. There is also seating provided on the south patios under the Heritage Tree that was preserved throughout construction.

The building has ground entrances on two levels. There is an accessible ramp that allows access from the Campus green elevation to the second-floor lobby entrance to provide multiple choices of paths. The auditorium, with just under 300 seats, is designed for lecture, theater practice and small performances, and serves as a storm shelter.

Additional features include departmental office spaces designed to accommodate future growth without needing additional renovations, classroom lighting programmed to harvest daylight while saving energy, and self-selected artistic wall-coverings representing each department’s subject matter.

University Hall was designed by local architecture firm Goodwyn Mills Cawood and constructed in 18 months by M.J. Harris.