Design for UTA research, teaching building gets green light
The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved on May 12 the design for a new University of Texas at Arlington Science and Engineering Innovation and Research building, to be located south of the existing Life Science building.
Construction of the $125 million, 220,000-square-foot SEIR facility is expected to begin this fall with completion in summer 2018.
The additional lecture halls and classrooms will support the growth of students in areas of workforce need, and especially support the planned growth in the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing and Health Innovation and the College of Science. The new building also will provide needed space for research activity.
“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.”
Designed by Page and ZGF Architects, the building is designed using sustainable practices, with high energy-efficiency heating and cooling systems, water conservation practices and sustainable materials for flooring and interior finishes.
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 features a 150-seat and a 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.
The research laboratories include areas for research focused on the health sciences. A dedicated core laboratory neighborhood space is located in the basement and designed with a vibration-resistant structure to house highly sensitive research equipment.
Other expanding areas of UTA heath science research that will be based in the SEIR building include new approaches for drug development that take advantage of natural immune responses; diagnostic approaches that effectively treat neurological issues such as Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain injuries; research to understand health issues associated with the heart, kidneys and other organs; and evolutionary biology to learn how changes occur that can cause adaptation or disease.