UT System Approves Design for UTA’s Science and Engineering Innovation and Research Building
By UT Arlington University Communications
Posted on May 13, 2016, May 13, 2016

UT System Approves Design

The University of Texas System Board of Regents has approved the design for a new University of Texas at Arlington Science and Engineering Innovation and Research building, a space that will support the significant growth of students in areas of workforce need and provide the basis for enhancement in research activity.

The $125 million, modern glass and steel building will span 220,000 square feet and provide a new, iconic southern entry to the UTA campus, south of the existing Life Science building. The project will add 900 teaching seats in lecture halls and classrooms, which will support enrollment growth across campus, especially the planned growth in the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing and Health Innovation and the College of Science.

"The SEIR building will enhance UTA 's capacity to meet the state 's need for the generation of a highly skilled workforce and intellectual capital while assuring that we continue to rise in reputation as an R-1 university," UTA President Vistasp M. Karbhari said. "The approved plans support multi-disciplinary teams working in large multi-use, collaborative spaces and will foster the generation of new ideas and solutions to real-life problems.

"We are grateful for the support of the Texas Legislature, Gov. Greg Abbott and the UT System Board of Regents that has made this project possible. The UTA Science and Engineering Innovation and Research Building will bring together faculty across STEM and health disciplines to make quantum leaps that will have a positive impact on people 's lives."

Construction of the Texas limestone, steel-and-glass structure is expected to begin this fall with substantial completion in summer 2018.

The construction manager is Hunt Construction Group, Inc., who previously managed the construction of UTA 's College Park Center. Designed by Page and ZGF Architects, the SEIR building includes a four-story wing with a basement level for research laboratory use and a two-story, instructional classroom wing that also can be adapted to host conferences and workshops.

Each floor of the instructional wing incorporates a 150-seat and 300-seat classroom, both intended for general campus use for larger core courses. A key design aspect is glass interior walls enabling work in the collaborative lab space to be visible to first-year students . a concept called "science on display," said Duane Dimos, UTA vice president for research.

"The building itself is designed to inspire students to become interested in research and pursue further careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics," Dimos said.

Click here to read more about the Science and Engineering Innovation and Research building.

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