University of Kentucky Opens $60 Million New Agriculture Building Designed by BHDP Architecture
On May 21, the University of Kentucky celebrated the opening of the Martin-Gatton Agricultural Sciences Building, as part of its effort to renew, modernize, and expand a core teaching facility within the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment (CAFE). BHDP Architecture partnered with CMTA Inc. and THP Limited to design the 66,000-SF facility, which serves as an addition to the Charles E. Barnhart Building.
BHDP and the design team partnered with the University of Kentucky to strategically reprogram the building from its original vision, responding to evolving campus needs and achieving significant space savings that UK reinvested in inviting student study and collaboration areas. The re-imagined facility now includes classrooms, offices, meeting rooms, flexible collaboration zones, dining and professional kitchen space, and quiet focus areas.
Members of the BHDP team and University of Kentucky executives attended the ribbon cutting.
“We’re honored to be a part of this important project for the University of Kentucky,” said Alejandro Medina, Client Leader at BHDP. “Through our unique design process, the BHDP team was able to design a state-of-the-art environment that will transform the student experience and lead agricultural education for decades to come.”
The Martin-Gatton Agricultural Sciences Building’s layout supports both traditional classroom instruction and interdisciplinary learning opportunities that reflect the changing needs of agriculture and environmental sciences. It also includes offices for the Center for Student Success and encourages interaction among students, faculty, and staff.
Collaboration spaces throughout the building are designed to encourage connection among students and faculty.
The project is part of a broader $100 million commitment from The Bill Gatton Foundation aimed at expanding programs and student opportunities within the college. This building symbolizes both the university’s modernization efforts and its broader mission to support Kentucky’s agricultural industries and communities through education, research, and outreach.
Read more at the University of Kentucky, WKYT, Lexington Herald Leader, Lex 18, and WUKY.
Content Type
In the News
Date
May 22, 2026
Market
