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University of Alabama at Birmingham: Hill Student Center

  • 02/01/17
University of Alabama at Birmingham: Hill Student Center

PHOTOS © HASTINGS+CHIVETTA ARCHITECTS/SAM FENTRESS

Described by University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) President Ray Watts as the new “Living Room” of UAB, the new 162,256-square-foot Hill Student Center designed by Hastings+Chivetta Architects centralizes student services on campus. The new building design is organized around a large student-focused community space that is intended to promote spontaneous interaction between students, faculty and staff, and form the heart of the campus community.

Located in the core academic campus just north of the large Campus Green, the new student center plays a pivotal role in forging a more collaborative and connected student community. The new building welcomes visitors to campus, attracts new students, offers the essential daily services of student life and is the new “place to be” for students.

Bathed in natural light, this central community space forms the backdrop for organized events, impromptu performances and gatherings, as well as daily dining and social activities. The building shape also creates a large exterior space for students near the adjacent Campus Green, and all outdoor spaces face that direction.

Key functions in the four-story student center include extensive seating and lounge spaces, a two-story bookstore, dining, the One Stop student services center, Student Publications & Media, student organization offices, the campus welcome center, multipurpose areas, and a large theater as well as administrative offices. The glass-filled exterior offers transparency into all areas of the facility, truly making it an open and inviting space for students to gather.

The addition of the Hill Student Center on the UAB campus ensures continued progress towards the university’s recruitment and retention goals.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

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