UofL Speed School opens $90M Student Success & Research Building
The J.B. Speed School of Engineering’s Student Success & Research Building has opened its doors on the University of Louisville Belknap Campus. The four-story, 114,000-square-foot center for student collaboration and research innovation stands within Speed School’s home on Eastern Parkway.
The building now occupies 1 acre of former parking lot. It cost $90M to construct and will cost about $1.4M/year to operate. It is was designed to achieve at least LEED Gold and features many energy efficiency and renewable energy systems, including the university's second geothermal system to provide baseload heating and cooling using 160 wells drilled to 600’ deep. A lower south flat roof was constructed as "solar-ready" to potentially house an 80kW photovoltaic system (when sufficient funds can be raised). Fundraising is also under way to potentially add other renewable energy systems, such hydrogen fuel cells, which hold the potential to make this UofL's first net-zero energy and LEED Platinum building!
The building is also UofL's first to be intentionally designed to educate, providing users with real-time information about energy systems and revealing sustainability features to the public. Some building systems will be intentionally exposed to offer "engineering on display" and a large dashboard in the main atrium will include information about the sustainability features and energy production and usage. If funding is secured to install the solar PV array, it will be the first solar system installed at UofL that is visible (from both the ground and from inside the building). Learn more and support the project here.
“UofL is a nationally recognized leader in driving innovation, spurring economic growth and providing students with the education and experience they need to succeed in the real world,” said UofL President Gerry Bradley. “This amazing new facility, with state-of-the-art amenities, will speed those efforts, creating bold new opportunities for our students, researchers and the commonwealth.”
With state-of-the-art classrooms, lab facilities, conference rooms and a makerspace, the new building will prepare engineering students with hands-on instruction and industry experience. Designed by Luckett & Farley and SmithGroup with Whittenberg Construction as the general contractor, the $90-million project was first announced in Feb. 2024. As the new focal point of Speed School, the building aims to provide the infrastructure that prepares future engineering leaders across Kentucky’s increasingly technology-focused workforce.
“This new Student Success & Research Building represents a strategic investment in Kentucky’s future,” said Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester. With expanded lab space, collaborative learning environments and a focus on innovation, it strengthens our capacity to educate the next generation of engineers and problem-solvers. The state’s $65 million commitment to this project reflects the vital role UofL and the Speed School play in building a stronger, more competitive commonwealth. Louisville has long been the economic engine of Kentucky, and the Speed School is one of its most powerful engines of opportunity and growth.”
In addition to the state’s financial support, UofL has secured nearly $10 million in philanthropic commitments to name spaces within the building. These investments from alumni, industry partners and friends of the university underscore the community’s belief in Speed School’s mission and its impact on Kentucky’s future workforce.
Across sectors that include robotics, artificial intelligence, sustainable energy, additive manufacturing and cybersecurity, the Student Success & Research Building will be equipped with cutting-edge technology to enhance student learning and engineering research. Additionally, the building will be home to student support services that include academic counseling, tutoring, co-op coordination and admissions.
“This building represents opportunity. It is a place where late-night study sessions turn into breakthrough ideas, where classmates become teammates or even lifelong friends, and where we can learn the skills that prepare us to solve real-world challenges,” said Speed School Student Council President Kayla Lancaster. “It gives us the places to work, the tools to build and the support to thrive.”
The building’s opening coincides with the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Speed School’s founding.
“The Student Success & Research Building is the perfect way to celebrate Speed School’s Centennial,” said Dean Emmanuel Collins. “It also represents Speed School’s commitment to the next 100 years of engineering excellence and innovation.”
By Michael Phillips
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See photos from the Sept. 4 press conference on Flickr.
For more information on the broader impact of the new Student Success & Research Building on the UofL community, visit the building campaign website.
For more photos of the Student Success & Research Building, see this link, or view and download B-roll or a time-lapse video of the building construction.
Source: UofL Speed School opens $90M Student Success & Research Building (UofL News, Sept. 4, 2025)
