Owner: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Location: Birmingham, AL
Awards: 2022 People's Choice Award
BPA was tasked with relocating and redesigning the existing optical shop to occupy the inefficient existing lobby space. The team worked closely with UAB to maintain design integrity while keeping cost and schedule in mind.
Renovations to the UAB School of Optometry span over five floors of the building. On the second and third floors, BPA provided a rejuvenated learning and research environment – matching the School’s commitment to enhance student experiences and provide necessary infrastructural updates. Third floor updates were completed first and feature a combination of instruction and student support spaces. On the ground floor, the new Optical Shop was designed to streamline the process of selecting and fitting the correct optics for the patient. From the “Triage” pods in the check-in area to the final fitting of the perfect prescription, the new Optical Shop showcases an extremely popular and needed aspect of the school, not only important for the thousands of patients, but also a wonderful real-life experience for the students. A design goal was to open views into adjacent spaces wherever possible to encourage interaction and enhance the student experience. Also, providing the appropriate lighting reinforced the functional use of the new spaces.
The winning project team included:
Erin Patterson
Bernhard Engineering
Muya Engineering
Wyatt builds (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5h floors)
P&M Mechanical (Optical Shop)
David Acton Building Corp (Specialty Exam Clinic)
Featured materials by Interface, Interior Elements, Cambria Surfaces, and the Mohawk Group.
Photos: Katherine Horton Photos & Mason Fischer
