Construction is underway for the new Health and Biomedical Sciences Center building that will be located next to the J. Armistead College of Optometry.
According to a UH news release, the center has been designed to facilitate collaboration across many colleges at UH.
“The new facility has been designed for delivery of state-of-the-art patient eye care and research to strengthen the current services provided at the University,” UH Executive Director of Media Relations Richard Bonnin said.
The building plan includes an ambulatory surgical center, the laser center, specialized research laboratories, animal care facilities, clinical facilities, along with labs, offices and classrooms, Bonnin said, adding that the new facility will provide great improvements for research.
“The Complex Systems Supercluster, a new research institute at UH, will include vision scientists, neuro-scientists, biomedical engineers, computer scientists, and cognitive, developmental and physiological psychologists,” Bonnin said.
The Supercluster program will bring researchers from across campus who are supported by the National Institutes of Health into a single building to “stimulate and improve biomedical research,” Bonnin said.
Construction of the six-story, 165,000 square foot building is expected to be completed by Fall 2012.
For safety purposes, the construction area has been enclosed with fencing and directional signs have been posted by the contractor.
The total estimated cost of the project is $70 million.
