The Healthy Kentucky Research Building is a 300,000 SF science and technology facility on the University of Kentucky’s Health Science Campus. The design focuses on attracting and recruiting top talent to grow their research institution. The facility features laboratory “neighborhoods” to promote communication and create synergy between multiple disciplines within the building.

The location of the facility, which links with two existing buildings, fosters collaborative and multidisciplinary research. Programming includes laboratories, administrative offices, common areas and shared use core spaces. It also includes a large auditorium that opens to the atrium on the first floor and multiple smaller conference rooms/meeting spaces. There is also a spline from the central utility plant that runs along campus and connects to the existing chilled water and steam loops.

The basement includes a 60,000 SF vivarium, which is covered by a 40,000 SF green roof plaza. The vivarium sits on a complex structural slab-on-grade that was construction on an elevated concrete deck in anticipation of the eventual or potential erosion of the karst system beneath.