Groundbreaking at UAB School of Nursing

October 24, 2016

Groundbreaking, Project Milestones, Projects

On Thursday, October 6, the University of Alabama-Birmingham School of Nursing held the official groundbreaking ceremony for the School of Nursing new addition/renovation. PAYETTE’s George Marsh, who is Design Principal for the project, participated in the well-attended event.

Photo Credit: Frank Couch / UAB School of Nursing

After completing the study in 2013 for the expansion of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, we were selected along with Williams Blackstock Architects to design the new addition and renovation. The School’s enrollment has grown significantly in recent years, and they have outgrown their current space. The design creates state-of-the-art spaces for students and faculty including new classrooms, offices and research space, along with increased skills lab space and a new Nursing Competency Suite for detailed training and testing.

The building is efficiently designed to maximize use of the existing footprint with both new and renovated spaces, and the layout is planned to maximize usable net area within the building envelope. A combination of new and renovated space on the ground floor concentrates classrooms, skills labs and the Nursing Competency Suite on one level. Combined with the student lounge on the second floor, this will provide a high level of activity and vitality in these areas. The new expansion is designed to LEED Gold standards, utilizing green roofs, hydronic cooling/heating system; convection air in the atrium; on site solar renewables and daylight.

Prior to the Groundbreaking Ceremony, the students and faculty of the School of Nursing held an RNnovation Celebration. The event gave the students and faculty the chance to say goodbye to the old building signing their names on the wall while also celebrating the start of construction.

Photo Credit: Frank Couch / UAB School of Nursing