Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Kentucky Opens New Design Building

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/26/24

The University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Gray Design Building, the new home for the College of Design. The renovated building formerly served as a tobacco warehouse that had been empty for years, according to a news release. It will unite the College of Design’s four programs, as well as the university’s landscape architecture program, underneath one roof for the first time.

The 132,000-square-foot facility features amenities like open studio spaces; student work areas; collaboration spaces; and a fabrication lab with technology like a wood shop, 3D printers, and a 3D knitting machine. The university partnered with architecture and urban practice Studio Gang for the project’s design for one of the campus’ most significant examples of adaptive reuse, the news release reports.

“Having our students together in one building allows them to learn from and observe each other’s work — this is especially valuable for students from different majors,” said College of Design Dean Ned Crankshaw. “It also allows for more faculty interaction and opens the door for curriculum collaboration. We know that the best way to make innovation happen is to put people together. The more diverse they are, the more innovation happens.”

A significant portion of the project’s funds came via a $5.25-million gift from Gray Inc., which encompasses engineering, design, automation, construction, equipment manufacturing, and more, as well as members of the Lexington-based Gray family. A portion of the gift was also allocated toward a design-build program for the School of Architecture, according to the news release.

“Extending the lifespan of existing buildings is one of the most significant ways we can limit our impact on the environment and broaden the creative potential of architecture,” said founding partner of Studio Gang Jeanne Gang. “Our goal was to bridge the building’s past and future by preserving its distinct character while renewing it as a place where creativity can thrive through collaboration. I look forward to seeing how students and faculty use the building to push and blur the boundaries of their disciplines.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.

  • Quattrocchi Kwok Architects Opens New Office in Denver

    Education planning and design firm Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) recently announced that it has opened a new office in Denver, Colo., the firm’s third overall. QKA is headquartered in Santa Rosa, Calif., and runs an East Bay Area office in Oakland.