HISTORY OF PLANNING AT UK university Those assets not only include the capital projects. Capital construction became
The land-grant institution called Agricul- campus buildings, but the grounds and utility more complex and UK began to use a project
tural and Mechanical College of Kentucky systems, as well. In addition, the office is re- management approach. Major projects are de-
(A&M), a department of Kentucky Univer- sponsible for other university-owned prop- signed by consultants and contractors bid for
sity began in 1865. Fast-forward to 1878 erty around the state. the work. Most new building adhere to the
when A&M broke away from that university “The 1960s were a heyday for construction applicable Campus Physical Development
and established itself on a 52-acre park and at UK,” says Denny “But back then, campus Plan but sometimes concessions, changes and
fair grounds that the city of Lexington do- planning was more introspective and might compromise must be made. (As ]ack Blanton
nated. That acreage was the beginning of what simply involve the govemor and university (former senior vice president for administra-
we have come to know as our own University president walking around campus, pointing tion) has said, (No plan is cast in stone.° W/Then
of Kentucky campus, with President ]ames K. to where a building should go. (W/e°11 put the there is a departure, the plan is amended in
Patterson serving as a driving force to make hospital over there, in that comHe1d,° for ex- much the same way the original plan was de-
the institution a success ample. And thats where the hospital ended ve1oped,’ says Denny
Carl Cone, writing in his book, {{2% Uni- up being bui1t.”
versily q"Kentucky: A Pict0riaZI·Hst0ry,” says Its easy to walk around the original campus MOVING FORWARD
that the board of trustees immediately started today Denny says, and see that the mix ofthe UK is about 10 years into its most recent
a construction program consisting of a presi- new and older structures works in an estheti- 50-year campus plan, put together with the
dents home, a mens dormitory and an all- cally pleasing way This is because many ofthe help ofthe architectural and planning Hrm
purpose building for students, faculty and the more modem buildings incorporate design e1- Ayers Saint Gross. Thinking ahead to the year
president and his secretary The campus ements ofthe older buildings. For example, 2050, the plan has to work toward creating a
would also have a plant to provide steam heat. the Ralph G. Anderson Building, completed sense of a single campus while at the same
Thus, the Hrst “campus p1an” for the Uni- in 2002, uses the same materials as the adja- time allowing for the development of individ-
versity of Kentucky was bom, although the cent Miller Hall but reverses them, using uality among the various campus districts,
institution wouldn°t receive that moniker — limestone where brick is used on Miller as one such as the Medical Center
UK- until 1916. of several references to the older building. The 2001 plan contains three basic princi-
Cone also says in his book that lack of Some campus buildings built in the late ples: UK will create academic communities, a
building funds slowed the progress ofthe con- 1930s like LaHFerty Hall and Erikson Hall sustainable pattem of growth, and connec-
struction for the Hrst plan and banks refused have a timeless look that relates well to the tions to the city And it is also in lockstep with
to lend money The construction was able to earlier more traditional campus buildings and the UK Top 20 Business Plan, says Denny
proceed only after UK President Patterson cost less to build. ‘2¢\11 of these buildings had Some ofthe details ofthe plan include cre-
said he would use his own money as collateral one characteristic in common. They were sim- ating a multi-centered campus and imple-
to obtain the loans. ple in design following the {less is more° ap- menting an open-space improvement plan;
In February 1882, the Hrst three buildings proach,’ says Denny planning forlong-term growth through rede-
that would be utilized by students were dedi- Denny says that until the 1980s the Com- velopment and also developing a comprehen-
cated, including the Main (Administration) monwealth of Kentucky managed state build- sive parking and transportation plan; and
Building, which is the only one ofthe original ings, including construction on campuses. In supporting the implementation ofthe Col-
buildings still standing today narrowly escap- 1982 Kentucky passed House Bill 622 and lege Town plan and improving approaches to
ing its demise during a 2001 Hre. gave universities the option to manage their the university
RULES - AND PLANS - CHANGE ""” 2   7 swf? i if      _     _§Z' #*’7` 
Overall, campus growth is awork in ¥· ’ N    M · IISJQ -T-T l'? T _ · ' I ,
progress, an undertaking that will never be _,    Q [_     L4? ‘ A A A
completely Hnished. And perhaps thats the I I. °` ‘ A  . _`   S - ~
way it should be. UKs grand plan for the fu-  vi; it ··     I vi!.
ture of its campus has to be modihed regularly   {  . #* l ` V . ·   ‘* H _A _ .
{O IH3.I{€ 21CCOmmOdations for changes in en- I I I   `   _   QJ:] U ' n `    
rollment numbers, space usage, and new tech- :, _ U L I I I` ` I ( __   _ Y I ,,,’· > · .~ · ( "lzg
nology — with an eye on both fund-raising  ` I I   I ` °l,~; 1   F  
coHfers and aHFordab1e1and. ‘ M     *  I I l I __ I FV T ‘· »/_;§’Q;
Denny is one individual who has direct i HH   H HE - I I WA ,  \ \- ;`§`j   ‘ Z ...g-
knowledge about some ofthe more recent _ 2;;.; ,,7 ,.3   H , 3   ` —- [gif? ( L I; I;  
history ofthe construction ofthe buildings     I'; J   N ,  _ { .- ’ ’ ng ` _:   4 _ ·- ii  
on campus, having been at UK since he was a I _ _ - _ ..2 " ‘
student in the early 1960s. . ..   .,;,.2 H · 5 `} j` Z  ` ; »
Today the university architect works in the · I E   S      A _,/ I - ,`_ ` - I T ‘
Capital Project Management Division which -’-gt? ' II  I " “ A ` l  I-   · - · » I *·—
is P9-l"f Oflhciliries M9-11¢1g€m€HF·F¤€i1ifi€S Old With The New: The Ralph G. Anderson Building, right, completed in 2002, uses
M9-H¢1g€m€Hf P19-H5, €0HSf1‘L1€fS» mg-H¢1g€S» 0P· the same materials (limestone and brick) as the adjacent Miller Hall (1898) but
erates and maintains the physical assets ofthe reverses thgm_
18 winter 2010