Studio Gang to transform former Reynolds Building

The UK College of Design (CoD) unveiled Studio Gang’s design for the reinvented Reynolds Building. Working in collaboration with Louisville-based Architect of Record K. Norman Berry Associates, Studio Gang will transform the century-old tobacco warehouse into a vibrant and interactive learning space for design students.

The College has waited 50 years for a building opportunity that will allow their programs to grow, diversify, and cross-pollinate. The Reynolds building, situated at one of the most prominent entries into the city of Lexington, is set to serve as a nimble artifact that teaches students about architecture, interiors, historic preservation, landscape architecture, urban design, product design, and biomedical engineering—all in a 21st-century, polycultural learning environment.

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The design builds on Reynolds’ existing qualities, including open floorplates and a repetitive structural grid, to maximize interaction among people and disciplines, and expand opportunities for making and experimentation. Open studio spaces leverage the timber column grid to flexibly demarcate each studio, reinforced by mobile pin-up walls and custom furniture designed and fabricated by CoD students.

Existing level changes in the building are used to create clerestories, skylights, and a flexible, double-height lecture hall. In certain areas, the existing structure is strategically cut away to create new gathering spaces, sightlines, abundant daylight, and vertical circulation. A new, steel stair is inserted into the center of the building, surrounded by shared spaces and amenities.

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Services that include the fabrication lab, café, and lecture hall – that encourage students, faculty, and visitors to gather and mix. Outside, a new fabrication dock creates space for large-scale making and displays these explorations to the wider University. New trees and a structural canopy provide shade and contribute to passive cooling inside the building.

Geothermal wells and other green strategies contribute to the sensible deployment of environmentally conscious elements that fit within the University’s defined project construction budget. With a storied team of designers at the helm, the College of Design is poised to enrich its offerings for future generations. Source and images Courtesy of CoD.

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