LOCATION

Lexington, Kentucky

ARCHITECT

OMNI Architects

AREA

383,000sf

COMPLETION

2018

The renovation and expansion of the existing Student Center is part of an overall plan to enhance student life across campus. Among the improvements planned for the Student Center are updated student activity and study spaces, dining and retail operations, parking, bookstore, and other amenities in support of student success.

The project incorporates best principles of energy and product conservation, resulting in both short and long-term savings with appropriate LEED principles, Energy Start equipment options, and environmentally responsible installations. The Student Center hosts over 9,000 events each year with a patron traffic count of 1.3 million persons. With this heavy traffic load, this project is phased to ensure minimal disruption to operations.

 The Student Center strives to serve as a "living room" for the campus by providing facilities, services, conveniences and programs for the University community which enhances their daily lives on campus and affords them the opportunity to learn, know, and understand one another through informal association outside the formal classroom. The student is central to this mission, as the department serves as a laboratory for teaching student leadership strategies and human relation skills through work experience, involvement in student organizations, and experience in program development through execution. The new student center not only accelerates the rejuvenation of campus infrastructure but defines this era of campus development.