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

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • Countway Library at Harvard Medical School

    From Shadows to Sanctuary: The Transformation of Light at Countway Library

    The renovation of Countway Library at Harvard Medical School demonstrates how biophilic design and advanced lighting strategies transformed a formerly dark, insular space into a vibrant, welcoming hub that supports wellness, learning, and community engagement.

  • University of Oklahoma Announces New Campus Master Plan

    The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., recently announced that it will soon launch a new, comprehensive Campus Master Plan to guide the campus’ physical development during the next decade, according to a news release.

  • Photo credit - Chuck Coates

    Florida District Modernizes Central Energy Plants at Two High Schools

    Flagler Schools, a public school district in Flagler County, Fla., recently partnered with Matern Professional Engineering to modernize the central energy plants at two of its high schools, according to a news release. The project is part of a larger, district-wide effort to reduce energy costs and operational expenses.