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University of Louisville
Belknap Academic Building

Lousiville’s first new academic building in decades, Belknap is a place where every student—especially those just beginning their collegiate journey—can learn, connect, and find support.

  • Location

    • Louisville, KY

    Size

    • 165,000 GSF new construction

    Program

    • Campus hub, active learning classrooms and teaching labs, co-curricular areas, student success center, an academy for teaching excellence, student support spaces

    Practice area

    Certifications

    • LEED Gold Certified

    Awards

    • ASHRAE Technology Regional Award

Learning, belonging, and discovery

Belknap reimagines what it means to support student success. It brings classrooms, labs, advising, tutoring, and the Student Success Center together under one roof—integrating academic support with daily campus life. For first-year students—and especially for first-generation students, who make up over a third of UofL’s student body—this link between learning and support is critical. By removing barriers and normalizing help-seeking as part of the college experience, Belknap provides a welcoming, connected environment where every student can learn, belong, and thrive.

The Student Success Center sits right inside the main entrance, making academic support one of the first things students see when they walk in.
Daylight, openness, and visibility define Belknap’s central commons.
Every single student will have one place to go to receive tutoring, mentoring, or any other services that they need to help them reach their potential.
Neeli BendapudiFormer President of The University of Louisville

Smarter spending, greater impact

Through careful coordination and design efficiency, the project realized significant cost savings that allowed a full build-out of previously shelled space. These savings supported the addition of three physics laboratories, one anthropology lab, several small active-learning classrooms, strategic enrollment management offices, and new seminar rooms—all within the original project budget.

Generous glazing brings natural light deep into the building, turning everyday circulation spaces into comfortable places to pause, study, and collaborate.
Designed for flexibility and visibility, labs throughout the building promote active engagement and collaboration between students and faculty.
Movable furniture and integrated technology in the active classrooms make it easy for students to shift between listening, collaborating, and presenting.
Transparency and writable surfaces in the corridor extend learning beyond the classroom.
Flexible, daylight-filled labs support hands-on study and exploration in anthropology.
A double-height commons offers students space to gather, study, and relax.
The labs allow for more interaction with our teachers. It’s a nice dynamic. It’s more personal.
Undergraduate FreshmanUniversity of Louisville

From street to spine

Savings from the project also supported the East Plaza Connection, a campus streetscape project that turned Brook Street from a service route into a lively pedestrian corridor. The new walkway links the University Boulevard gateway and the Student Activity Center, creating a safer, more walkable campus core.

BEFORE: Brook Street functioned primarily as a service route that divided the campus core.
AFTER: A new pedestrian-friendly corridor links key campus destinations and creates a vibrant new spine for campus life.

Efficient, responsible, and built to last

Designed as a high-performance, people-centered learning environment, the Belknap Academic Building achieved LEED Gold Certification by pairing visible sustainability strategies with smart systems:

  • 22% better energy performance than the ASHRAE 90.1 baseline
  • 8% of total energy use offset by a roof-mounted photovoltaic array
  • Electrochromic glazing reduces glare and heat gain while maintaining daylight and views
  • Demand-controlled ventilation and a high-performance envelope lower energy use and enhance indoor comfort
  • Rainwater harvesting and infiltration basins capture runoff from four nearby buildings, easing pressure on Louisville’s combined sewer system
Project impact
  • 22%

    better energy performance than the ASHRAE 90.1 baseline

  • 8%

    total energy offset by a roof-mounted photovoltaic array

Our dedication to student success and being a locally-and nationally-connected campus has positioned UofL as a leader in preparing our graduates for in-demand careers. We are thrilled to witness these positive outcomes, which reflect our commitment to redefining student success for all.
Kim SchatzelFormer President of University of Louisville

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Collaborator

K. Norman Berry Associates (KNBA)

Project Team

Acentech

Carman

Civil Design, Inc.

CMTA Consulting Engineers

Dynamix Engineering LTD

HLB Lighting Design

Rangaswamy & Associates, Inc.

Rickes Associates

Robert Pass + Associates

Secured Design, LLC

Swope Design Group

Whittenberg Construction Co.

Photography

Halkin Mason Photography

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