The Cité Internationale Université de Toulouse is located on a historic site in one of Toulouse's emblematic science districts, between the neighborhoods of Busca and Saint-Michel. The so-called "H" building was constructed in the early 20th century by architect Joseph Thillet, who also designed the buildings at 39–41 Allées Jules Guesde. It was funded by Paul Sabatier using the prize money from his 1912 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to establish the first research laboratory for the Faculty of Science in Toulouse. Construction of the "H" building was completed in 1916, making it the first structure to be erected on the site. However, it was immediately requisitioned for use as a military hospital during World War I. It was not until 1919 that Paul Sabatier was finally able to install the chemistry laboratories there. Prior to that, the laboratories had been located at the Faculty of Science on the Allées Jules Guesde, in the buildings that now house the Quai des Savoirs.