Facilities

Welcome to the University of Houston

Facilities/Construction Management is committed to Building Futures and Maintaining Excellence. We are the facilities business experts who reliably plan, build, operate and maintain the University’s facilities all in support of the University’s broader mission. Our dedicated staff consist of engaged team members that pursue excellence in project planning, project execution, business services, facility maintenance and facility operations. We openly and honestly communicate with our customers and encourage you to contact us directly with any problems or concerns through our communication pipeline, FIXIT.

We are proud to receive the 2021 TAPPA Stars Across Texas Award. The TAPPA Stars Across Texas Award is designed to recognize and advance excellence in the field of educational facilities on outstanding achievements in facilities management.

Service Units

Facilities Planning
We serve as the the entry point for all planned projects, support project design development, maintain the space database, and coordinate the master plan, design guidelines, and master specifications.
Facilities Capital Project Management
As the University's construction project management experts, we provide full project management services for capital construction and renovation projects.
Facilities Services
We provide comprehensive Facilities Services to our campus community using our skilled personnel, expertise, and contracted partners.
Facilities Business Operations & Compliance
We serve as the facilities business compliance experts for financial, contract, customer service and IT.

NEWS AND FEATURES

TAPPA Conference Recognizes James Norcom, III
University of Houston staff members from the Facilities/Construction Management department attended the 2023 TAPPA Educational Conference and Business Partner Fair in Denton, Texas. TAPPA is a non-profit organization that promotes common interest, proficiency, and professionalism in college and university facilities operations.
Facilities Magazine 2022
It is with the greatest of pride that we are sharing the 2022 edition of Facilities in Review. We hope that as you scroll through the pages, you are able to understand even more about the accomplishments of the UH Facilities/Construction Management department. We are one of the largest and most unique departments on campus with responsibilities over the facilities and infrastructure for the campus and within the UHS.
Meet the Cougar Access Control Services team
A new team, the Cougar Access Control Services, was formed at the beginning of 2023 to create a one-stop shop for anything and everything related to access where keys or cards are required. “What we wanted to do is create a better experience for our campus partners when it comes to any type of access, whether it’s card access, key access, or getting any of your physical hardware to function properly,” said Rudy Jimenez, Assistant Director of Cougar Access Control Services.
UH CONCISE Program Kicks Off Partnership Engagement
Facilities/Construction Management, Parking and Transportation, the University of Houston Police Department, UH Athletics, Fire & Life Safety, and other UH departments met in February to discuss a new program aimed at helping the university facilitate better partnership collaboration from a logistics standpoint. The UH CONCISE (Connecting Our Neighborhood Community Infrastructure with Stakeholders Engagements) Program aims to facilitate collaboration with community partners regarding significant UH events, large construction projects, or any major initiative that is significant to UH. Learn more about this new program.
Bicycle Rack Spring Cleaning
Facilities/Construction Management and the University of Houston Police Department continued to clean up the bicycle racks to maintain an adequate number of bicycle parking spaces on campus and maintain the overall aesthetics of our campus. Read more about this effort and how you can register your bicycle with UH Parking and Transportation.
Leadership Highlights for Facilities Services
Facilities Services is one of four units within Facilities/Construction Management. Although the main way to contact FIXIT is always through the 4 Ways to FIXIT
UH Facilities Ride-Out Team 2022
Each year, Facilities Services organizes a Ride-Out Team. These dedicated indivdiuals are responsible for staying on campus when there is an emergency weather situation. After completing the FEMA NIMS certification, we entrust them as stewards of the campus to keep an eye on the buildings and report any damages. In addition, they must do the preliminary cleaning and attempt to minimize further damage as best they can. The team is comprised of representatives from different areas of the department in an attempt to help have different types of expertise available during the emergencies and make repairs if possible.
Facilities Builds Pathways Forward
Facilities/Construction Management continues to create an environment of accessibility by ensuring appropriate standards for new construction with regards to the Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS). The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and their Architectural Barriers Advisory Committee develop and maintain the TAS. They are then approved by the United States Department of Justice as being equivalent to the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines. By law, TAS must be equal or more stringent than ADA Accessibility Guidelines. In turn, this means that the F/CM projects are constructed with these standards applied.
FIXIT Service Requests
In August, the FIXIT Service Request system received a major upgrade. Facilities/Construction Management changed from the software that was over a decade old to a new software. This transformative change is now more intuitive than ever before. The requester can easily see icons to identify the category for the type of request they would like to submit.
Custodial Appreciation Week
University of Houston Facilities/Construction Management has over 125 in-house custodians and close to the same number of contract custodians. This is the largest team within the department and is led by Senior Director Liliana Simmonds. Specifically supporting and coordinating the in-house custodians is Assistant Director Ana De Los Reyes. Organizing and delegating the contract custodians is Assistant Director Katie Alvarenga. This strong leadership team has been working closely together through the COVID-19 pandemic, contract changes and additional square footage.

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New AVP for Facilities Services
Mike Oestereicher has joined the UH Facilities/Construction Management department as the Assistant Vice President of Facilities Services. He has over 25 years of experience in facility operations and services, engineering, and contracting.
UHS Facilities Forum 2022
UH System Facilities leaders and business partners gathered to collaborate, network and gain knowledge at the 2022 UHS Facilities Forum. This year’s theme was “Digging Deeper into Sustaining Our Evolving Environment.” The event was attended by members of staff at the University of Houston, University of Houston-Downtown, University of Houston-Victoria and University of Houston-Clear Lake
Semester Magazine: Spring/Fall 2021
Our latest issue of the ‘Facilities in Review’ magazine is now available.
Incentive Program Anniversary for Facilities/Construction Management
Facilities/Construction Management celebrates an exciting new recognition program with Custom created UH F/CM coins. By incorporating this tradition into the department’s culture signifies a visible and lasting memento that recognizes that team member’s contribution to achieving the strategic mission of both UH and F/CM.
F/CM Recognize Employee Contributions with Excellence Awards
On May 24, F/CM hosted their annual department lunch. During this time together appreciation was given for the hard work accomplished through the fiscal year. The inaugural Strategic Teams were acknowledged for the projects they proposed in 2021. The 2022 Strategic Teams were also announced.
Facilities Construction/Management Recognizes National Safety Month
June is National Safety Awareness Month. A month when employees and employers refocus their efforts and commitments on keeping their workspaces safe and free from accidents. The University of Houston Facilities Construction/Management has partnered with the National Safety Council to observe this month and participate in its initiatives.
UH Hosts TAPPA Conference
University of Houston staff members from the Facilities/Construction Management department hosted the 2022 TAPPA Educational Conference and Business Partner Fair in Spring, Texas.
The Hub Construction Begins
With the recent groundbreaking event on 22 April for The Hub project, Facilities/Construction Management is ready to move forward with the construction phase.
Facilities Builds a Path Forward
Focusing on ADA challenges
A year ago, a group of University of Houston students with disabilities signed and submitted a petition to the Chancellor’s Office detailing where the university can improve conditions for students with disabilities.