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University of Kentucky Reopens Scovell Hall

  • By Matt Jones
  • 08/20/26

Key Takeaways

  • The University of Kentucky has reopened the 120-year-old Scovell Hall following a comprehensive renovation.
  • The 92,000-square-foot facility now serves as the administrative home of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFÉ).
  • New spaces include flexible classrooms, collaborative student areas, faculty offices, and a 4,000-square-foot, restaurant-grade teaching kitchen and dining area.

The University of Kentucky recently reopened Scovell Hall, part of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE), following comprehensive renovations to the 120-year-old facility in Lexington, Ky., according to a news release. The university marked the completion of the project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 31.

The 92,000-square-foot building was originally constructed in 1903 to house the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and was once the largest building on campus. The renovated facility now serves as CAFE’s administrative headquarters while bringing together academic, research, and student-support programs under one roof.

The facility houses the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, Department of Family Sciences, Department of Retailing and Tourism Management, School of Human Environmental Sciences, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension, and college leadership and administrative offices. It also includes the Lemon Tree Café and Teaching Kitchen.

Flad Architects provided architectural programming and design services for the renovation and partnered with architect-of-record JRA Architects on the building’s interior design, according to a press release. The project preserves the north and west entrances of the original colonial-style brick structure while introducing a glass north façade and a large trellis canopy shading the entrance.

New learning environments include a 4,000-square-foot, restaurant-grade teaching kitchen and dining area designed for instruction and outreach. An open stair connects the lobby with flexible active-learning classrooms and student spaces on the second floor, while faculty offices on the upper floors share an atrium intended to strengthen connections throughout the building.

The Scovell Hall renovation is part of a larger series of capital investments in Martin-Gatton CAFE facilities. Other projects include the recently opened Martin-Gatton Agricultural Sciences Building and the Agricultural Research Building, which is scheduled to open in December 2026.

About the Author

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

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