Bullhorn: Campus Construction Update

Taking Shape

Construction and renovations continue on all three campuses to improve UB’s living, learning and research spaces

The Oscar A. Silverman Library in Capen Hall.

The Oscar A. Silverman Library in Capen Hall. Photo: Douglas Levere

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By Mike Andrei

The largest construction project in UB’s history. The creation of a 21st-century “learning landscape” in the center of the university’s academic spine. The first major renovation in the School of Dental Medicine in 30 years.

All told, there are more than $400 million in construction jobs, large and small, taking place across UB. These capital projects range from the ongoing construction of the new building for the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to upgrades of campus bathrooms and student laundry facilities.

Here are a few highlights of what’s taking shape this year.

Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

With steel construction now complete, the permanent roof and more than 300 windows are being added to the new downtown building. Workers are also installing the school’s outer envelope, including a high-performance terra-cotta “skin” (samples pictured) manufactured locally by Boston Valley Terra Cotta. The project is on track for completion in 2017.

Silverman Library

As the first phase of the Heart of the Campus project, the Oscar A. Silverman Library in Capen Hall has been transformed into a “learning landscape,” with rooms for individual and group study, high-tech classrooms, multimedia suites, and even a traditional “Grand Reading Room” and café. The 800-person space opened at the end of August.

School of Dental Medicine

An $11 million expansion project will double the size of the Preclinical Laboratory as part of the school’s first major renovation in 30 years. Another $11 million overhaul of the UB dental clinics—WNY’s largest oral health care center—is in the final planning stages.