The University of Alabama Moore Hall Renovation

Moore Hall, which was renamed Wade Hall in 2021, on The University of Alabama (UA) campus, houses the Department of Kinesiology and the Department of Human Environmental Sciences. In order to accommodate functions for both departments and adhere to ADA regulations in this 75-year-old building, Gresham Smith was selected to update the outdated four-floor, 30,754-square-foot building. By renovating the existing building, it’s now a modern, educational environment that enhances the quality of UA’s academic programs and reflects the historic features of other facilities on campus.

floors

30k

square feet

academic departments

Making the Mark on Campus

Gresham Smith worked with UA to ensure the renovations met specific program requirements for both academic departments. The renovations provided much-needed classroom and support spaces that had been previously unavailable by demolishing the interior of the building, reallocating interior functions, and designing new architectural, mechanical, plumbing and electrical components. All renovations now adhere to UA Design Guidelines and reflect the historic features of the existing buildings on campus.

Rooted in History and Accessibility

The exterior façade of the rebuilt connector was designed to complement the historic architectural elements of Moore and Little Halls. The Gresham Smith team salvaged and reused the brick from the existing connector and included rounded and arched windows in the design to reference the former structure. The 5,014-square-foot updated connector includes a new elevator and stair tower, which serves all levels of Moore Hall and provides better accessibility for students and staff.

Supplementing the Next Generation

The Department of Human Environmental Sciences now has a multi-functional classroom, library/conference space and a designated graduate teaching assistant area. The Department of Kinesiology also received classroom space, faculty offices, a conference room, graduate teaching area, pedagogy lab, exercise/human performance lab, a restroom and shower facility, gymnasium space, and other support spaces including a break room, reception, copy/mail room and storage.

Designed for Academic Excellence

Gresham Smith’s innovative use of 3-D visualization tools, which have become UA standards, helped the University and the building’s tenants understand the intricacies of the new vertical circulation and demonstrated “field of vision” views of the building.

Completed in time for the fall 2012 school year, Moore Hall and the new connector were well-received by students and faculty. The new state-of-the-art facility reinforces UA’s national reputation for excellence through the quality of its academic programs and faculty.