UTSA begins utility work on Science and Engineering Building

The new Science and Engineering Building will provide additional classroom and laboratory space to support student success

The new Science and Engineering Building will provide additional classroom and laboratory space to support student success.
Photo credit: Alamo Architects and Treanor HL


(May 18, 2017) -- UTSA has begun work on the new Science and Engineering Building (SEB), the largest construction project in university history. The building will create classrooms, study spaces, teaching laboratories and research facilities for UTSA's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs.

The SEB, scheduled to open in 2020, will be built in a grassy area off Bauerle Rd. and Key Circle, directly east of the Biotechnology, Sciences, and Engineering Building.

Starting on June 5, crews will begin utility work that will impact approximately 300 parking spaces across three Main Campus areas. Portions of the Ximenes Lot and the Ford Lot will be fenced for utility work until January 2018 while a portion of Bauerle Road Lot 1 will be fenced off through June 2020.

For the safety of workers and pedestrians, UTSA will create alternate paths from the Ford Lot and BR1 directly to campus buildings.

>> View anticipated construction zones and pedestrian paths.

>> View how 2017-2018 parking will be reallocated.

Top-tier research will be conducted inside the Science and Engineering Building. The 4th floor will be dedicated to brain health research and chemical engineering. Leading the brain health revolution is one of UT System Chancellor William McRaven's "Quantum Leap" initiatives to provide the Texans with the very best in higher education, research and health care. UTSA plays an important role in this initiative.

Among the building's most unique features is its magnitude of exterior and interior glass. Many of the laboratories in the building will be surrounded in glass so students and visitors walking by can see what's going on, a concept referred to as science on display. The goal is to encourage interaction among students from different majors, creating opportunities for students to connect with people who have different interests. In addition to engaging more students in research, the approach has shown to improve student retention and graduation rates.

Another innovative aspect of the building will be its Engineering Maker Space, a 17,000 square foot area where engineering students can design, test and fabricate their capstone senior design projects. They will have access to various tools, materials and storage space for their projects.

Additionally, the new building will feature laboratories and classrooms dedicated to UTSA's new chemical engineering degree program. Among the most anticipated features is a two-story space that will house a distillation column. In this space, students will be able to collect data and analyze the results in real-time, and this reflects the types of hands-on requirements of a practicing chemical engineer at an industrial facility. To help support the chemical engineering program, Bill and Margie Klesse committed a $1 million gift from The Klesse Foundation in support of scholarships and equipment for chemical engineering.

The SEB will be the first new building at UTSA since the North Paseo Building opened on the Main Campus in 2014. The majority of the funding for the $95 million building will come from tuition revenue bonds, which the Texas legislature approved during the 2015 session.

UTSA is ranked among the top 400 universities in the world and among the top 100 in the nation, according to Times Higher Education.

- Christi Fish

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For questions about parking, call (210) 458-7275 or email parking@utsa.edu.

For questions, contact the Facilities Service Center at (210) 458-4262 or view Facilities' SEB construction webpage.

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