Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Kentucky Breaks Ground on Agricultural Research Facility

  • By Matt Jones
  • 06/17/24

The University of Kentucky recently celebrated a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new, $285-million Agricultural Research Building on its campus in Lexington, Ky., according to a university news release. The building will measure in at 263,000 square feet and has an estimated completion date of November 2026. The university partnered with BHDP Architecture and Flad Architects for the project’s design.

“This groundbreaking marks a transformative step in supporting the discovery that will help protect and grow the Commonwealth’s multi-billion-dollar agriculture industry, present in communities throughout Kentucky’s 120 counties,” said Eli Capilouto, University of Kentucky President. “We are deeply grateful to the Kentucky General Assembly for investing in the work we do to benefit Kentucky agriculture and ensuring a safe, resilient and abundant food supply.”

The building will play home to the university’s Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Department of Entomology, Department of Horticulture, and Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. Amenities will include wet and dry teaching and research laboratories, as well as rooftop greenhouses for research in fields like animal science, entomology, horticulture, plant sciences, plant pathology, and soil science, the news release reports.

The labs will facilitate research and analysis into topics like protein expression studies and nutrient assessments of feeds and foods. In addition to the research greenhouses, a separate teaching greenhouse will play home to courses like Introduction to Floral Design and Introduction to Plant Identification, according to the news release.

“Having new facilities will greatly enhance our equine, companion and food animal research programs that strive to optimize animal production, health and management, reduce environmental impacts and enhance the quality of food products and their safety,” said Department of Animal and Food Sciences Chair Scott Radcliffe, Ph.D.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • California School District Completes Elementary School Modernization

    The San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting for a whole-site modernization of Pacific Beach Elementary School, according to local news. The school first opened with one building in 1930 and added six more between 1938 and 1957.

  • Kimball International Releases Curated Design Support Program

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of a new end-to-end design support program, DesignSuite. According to a news release, its goal is to guide architecture & design professionals and dealer partners through the process from vision to specification.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.