A journey to adaptive re-use
The Den Student Intake Services Building - Bluegrass Community & Technical College
Constructed in 1906, the original building was one of a series of structures located on the campus of Eastern State Hospital on Newtown Pike. Aside from its cruciform floorplan, the structure was unlike the other southern colonial buildings on the hospital campus. It was more utilitarian, containing the institution's laundry services. A century later, when the Kentucky Community & Technical College System (KCTCS) acquired the abandoned property for its newest Bluegrass Community & Technical College (BCTC) campus, the college recognized the building's unique architectural character and heritage and opted for rehabilitation rather than demolition. They aimed to create a welcoming environment where new and returning students could complete all admissions activities.
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When BCTC selected Omni to bring the building back to life, our designers were challenged to include BCTC's full range of student intake services—student admission/advising services, financial aid, testing center, bursar’s office, and the campus bookstore—in this singular location. This initiative required more than double the square footage available within the existing building, which resulted in the need for an addition. It was important to find ways to preserve the character of the existing structure while introducing modern systems and finishes, so we retained some of the existing historic features while making the building energy-efficient and relevant.
The preservation of natural light was a priority. We maintained the large open floor plan through the double-height space, exposing the overhead MEP systems and existing steel trusses. This retained the natural light that filtered through the historic clerestory windows. New walls constructed within the space were painted white to enhance the existing interior brick masonry, previously covered in layers of paint, while the existing intricate steel trusses were accented with a charcoal color. The Visitor and Welcome Center is located at the crossroads of the existing building geometry and is flanked by a glass-enclosed orientation room and history gallery.
We connected the addition to the existing history building by a low-rise corridor called “the hyphen.” The addition demonstrates continuity with the existing architecture by incorporating clerestory windows that mimic those in the original structure and direct natural light into the center of the addition. The choice and composition of the addition's exterior materials utilize a brick masonry similar in color to the original brick, while a horizontal paneling system emulates the mottled slate on the clerestory of the existing building and matches the panels on the new adjacent structures on the campus.
The resulting complex was titled The Den in reference to a skulk of foxes that live on campus and to emphasize BCTC's focus on providing students with a comfortable and inviting one-stop location for services, reducing the anxiety students previously experienced when traveling across multiple campuses to complete their intake activities. In contrast to the utilitarian function of the former Laundry Building, the Den is vibrant and filled with activities and services that help students become more successful in their education and future.
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