A new federally funded $25-million research laboratory will be located on the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture campus in Lexington, Ky. Design of the new facility has been awarded to the Washington, D.C., office of RTKL Associates Inc. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service will manage the building, which will include a 64,000-sf lab and a 11,000-sf greenhouse. The greenhouse is scheduled to begin construction in early 2007.
The research will focus on the genetic and physiological factors that enhance animal health and performance, as well as to improve forage plant persistence, quality, and production. The facility will house multidisciplinary, cross-institutional research teams from the University of Kentucky and the USDA using investigative techniques in proteomics, metabolomics, and genomic sciences with state-of-the-art technology. Three floors of research labs will house chemistry, biochemistry, forage analysis, field science, and cellular biology. The building will consist of open and closed labs, support labs, core facilities for specialty equipment, conference areas, interacton spaces, and offices.
RTKL serves as the architectural firm for the project. Other consultants include Earl Walls Associates (lab planning); Affiliated Engineering Inc. (MEP & FP engineering); Buell-Freyer-McReynolds, Inc. (structural engineering); and Hall Harmon Engineering (civil engineering and FMSM on geotechnical and environmental aspects.)
