Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Houston Building Wins 2014 PCI Design Award

  • 11/07/14

CHICAGO — The University of Houston Health and Biomedical Sciences Building 1 was named “Best Higher Education Building” by The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) in the Institute’s 2014 PCI Design Awards.

The award celebrates the distinctive beveled façade of the clinical, research, and teaching facility for this Carnegie Tier 1 research institution and the smart design thinking behind it. Catching the sun as it plays across the building’s surface, the undulating precast concrete façade system is an innovative, high-value design solution that responds to challenges dictated by topography, program, and budget.  

The design response uses simple rectangular concrete panels that are triangularly faceted, creating peaks and valleys in the façade’s surface. Shadow and light dance across the windowless expanses in a series of patterns that shift with the passing of time and seasons.

Shepley Bulfinch of Boston was the design architect for the project, in association with Bailey Architects of Houston. They two firms are now partnering on the University of Houston’s Health and Biomedical Sciences Building 2 project, which is scheduled to break ground in 2015.

Now in their 52nd year, the PCI Design Awards recognize excellence in the design, fabrication, and construction of precast structures and systems.

Featured

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Minnesota District Completes $49.7M Addition, Renovation Project

    St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $49.7-million addition and remodeling project at two district schools, according to a news release.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • UTampa Breaks Ground on STEM Academic Facility

    The University of Tampa in Tampa, Fla., recently broke ground on one of its largest academic facilities ever, according to a news release. The Dickey Science Innovation Center will measure 153,000 square feet and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.