University of Houston, University Center Satellite

The University Center (UC) Satellite was built in the early 70s as a modern, underground student union building. The entryway is through a basement-level courtyard. Typical areas in the 35,000-square-foot UC Satellite include a game room, food court, TV rooms, study areas and some student organizations.
In June 2001, Tropical Storm Allison damaged the building to the point that only the concrete and major piping were salvageable. The building was demolished to its bare structure, and rebuilt to present-day building codes and standards.
The UC Satellite has two main parts: the food court and all the other activity areas. The food court space is leased to a vendor that provides dining services for the entire university. The division of the UC Satellite made the reconstruction more complex because there were two different project teams.
The actual construction started in fall 2001, and half of the building was reopened in fall 2002. The entire building opened in the spring 2003 semester. The overall reconstruction has been a great success, and the UC Satellite is a popular destination on campus for faculty, students and staff.

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