Owner: University of Alabama - Birmingham

Location: Birmingham, AL

Year of Completion: 2018

Project Size: 18,600 SF

Renovations to the UAB School of Optometry’s space encompassed over 18,000 SF spanning the second and third floors of the Henry B. Peters Building. We utilized the extensive renovation opportunity to provide a rejuvenated learning and research environment—matching the School’s commitment to enhance and strengthen student experiences—and provide necessary infrastructural updates for all building users. Third floor updates were completed first and feature a combination of instruction and student support spaces. A new, tiered, lecture-style classroom and an optics learning lab are complemented by a new student locker room, a student lounge area, and the Student Affairs office suite.

The second floor updates are anticipated to be complete by year’s end and will feature various types of instruction spaces. These include an additional optical learning lab; a flexible classroom—intended for group discussions and collaborative work sessions; a smaller, lecture-style classroom; and an expanded clinical exam space that will house a replica of the National Board Examination Room exam lanes.

A set of revamped restrooms and new building systems (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) throughout the two floors give refining touches to round out the transformation taking place at Henry B. Peters. The renovated spaces will allow the School of Optometry to continue to provide state-of-the-art clinical practice for their students and give them opportunities to join in research that leads to groundbreaking discoveries in vision science.

You can learn more about the UAB School of Optometry at their website: https://www.uab.edu/optometry/home/.