University of Kentucky Starts Renovations on 120-Year-Old Facility

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/04/24

The University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., recently launched a renovation project to restore the historic Scovell Hall, originally built in 1903. The comprehensive rebuild has an estimated completion date of 2026 and will preserve the structure’s north and west entrances. The new facility will cover about 92,000 square feet and play home to administrative services for the university’s Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE), according to a news release. Funding for the $70-million project comes from the university’s modernization fund pool.

“Establishing our presence at the heart of campus reflects the transdisciplinary nature of our college,” said Martin-Gatton CAFE senior associate dean Carmen Agouridis. “This will help our students and faculty members collaborate more closely with other colleges on central campus, bolstering our ability to prepare students to become the innovative leaders that our state and world needs.”


Photo courtesy of Flad Architects

After renovations are complete, Scovell Hall will play home to the Department of Dietetics and Human Health, the Department of Community and Leadership Development, the School of Human and Environment Sciences, the Lemon Tree restaurant, a 4,000-square-foot teaching kitchen, seven classrooms, and student lounge and study areas. The university partnered with JRA Architects and FLAD Architects for the project’s design, which will blend classical and contemporary design elements, the news release reports.

“This teaching kitchen embodies the college’s commitment to hands-on learning and the advancement of tomorrow’s health care leaders,” Agouridis said. “With a focus on utilizing food as health, students will engage in immersive experiences aimed at improving lives and fostering a deeper understanding of the vital connection between nutrition and health.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Active Learning Classroom

    Striking a Balance: The Keys to Renovating Science Education Buildings for the 21st Century

    The recent renovation of the Durham Science Center at the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO) provides a roadmap for facilities managers tasked with balancing budget constraints, modern pedagogical demands, and long-term sustainability.

  • Ancient Resilience: How Indigenous Intelligence Shapes the 4Roots Education Building

    As climate change intensifies, educational spaces must evolve beyond basic sustainability toward true resilience – we must design environments that can adapt, respond, and thrive amid shifting, and intensifying, climate hazards. Drawing on indigenous wisdom and nature-based strategies, integrating resilient design offers a path to create learning environments that are not only functional but deeply in tune with their natural surroundings.

  • University of Connecticut Upgrades Basketball Facility’s AV Systems

    The University of Connecticut recently partnered with Metinteractive to upgrade the AV systems of the Gampel Pavilion basketball facility on its campus in Mansfield, Conn., according to a news release.

  • Kimball International Debuts Health & Education Experience Center

    Kimball International recently opened a new facility at its corporate headquarters in Jasper, Ind., that will act as a hands-on showroom for a variety of its furniture products and solutions, according to a news release. The 13,000-square-foot Health & Education Experience Center was originally designed by Gensler as the headquarters for Kimball International’s National brand.

Digital Edition