Last year, the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) broke ground on the new 115,000-square-foot $73 million College of Sciences & Technology Building.

The UHD community is invited to celebrate a significant milestone in the building’s construction with a Topping Out Ceremony from 9 to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 14, on the west side of the Marilyn Davies College of Business (Main St. at Naylor St.).

In building construction, a Topping Out is a builder’s rite traditionally when the last beam is placed atop a structure during its construction. Traced to Scandinavian roots, a tree is set atop the construction. For the UHD event, attendees are invited to sign the final beam along with UHD President, Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz and other University leaders.

For more than nine months, construction has been underway for the new College of Sciences & Technology Building, which will expand UHD’s teaching and research spaces and further deepen its footprint in Downtown Houston.

“The College of Sciences & Technology Building opens a new chapter for both UHD and Houston,” Muñoz said. “This new academic facility will enhance our students’ learning experiences with state-of-the-art research and study spaces. It also will serve as a hub for research that is relevant to our community. It’s a transformative addition to our University and provides our students with another resource to help them Finish UHD Strong.”

The Sciences & Technology Building will include:

• 14 laboratory spaces for classes in chemistry and molecular life sciences
• 12 laboratories for undergraduate research
• Three computational classrooms
• First-floor commons area for studying and student gatherings
• Expansive multipurpose room
• First-floor lobby
• Full-service café

“The new College of Sciences & Technology Building brings state-of-the-art science teaching and research facilities to UHD,” Dr. Akif Uzman, dean of CST said. “It also provides students with collaborative meeting spaces that will facilitate an exciting environment for a high level of scientific productivity within the labs and creative collisions among students and faculty in numerous common spaces.”

The building also will host UHD’s Center for Urban Agriculture—a teaching and research center focused on agricultural solutions for areas in Houston deemed as food deserts or communities with few resources for fresh produce or nutritious meal options.

The newest addition to campus will be the first building to occupy a 17-acre tract of land purchased by UHD in 2016. This area extends north of the One Main Building and runs along White Oak Bayou and North Main Street. In addition to the Sciences & Technology Building, the University is reviewing opportunities for further campus development on this parcel of land.

In addition to the new building, this project will, in an indirect way, provide UHD’s first outdoor sports and recreation space. Due to flooding considerations, the Sciences & Technology Building site needed to be built up/elevated 10 feet. The dirt or ‘fill’ for this build-up was taken from an already low-lying section of the 17-acre parcel. UHD worked with the project team to put in place a rectangular ‘dry mitigation’ pond, into which the University will put its first ‘on-campus’ playing field, which will be able to support soccer, flag football, lacrosse, and several other sports.

Construction on the Sciences & Technology Building will continue through summer 2019. The design team overseeing this facility is Kirksey Architecture. Vaughn Construction is overseeing its construction.

For event attendance, please RSVP.