project profiles & progress

video: EKU promoting its science building on YouTube

February 11

Eastern Kentucky University has produced a great video to promote their new Science Building currently under construction.

video: gctc celebrates opening, receives award

November 10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbutLVlnOgM
A flash mob kicked off the official opening of Gateway Community and Technical College Center for Advanced Manufacturing in grand style at the college's building dedication ceremony last month. To the surprised delight of the more than 200 attendees, GCTC students and staff of the college joined a giant dancing robot to celebrate their excitement about their new building with a choreographed dance to "We're Gonna Celebrate." Check out the photos of the event in our gallery or take a tour of the building in our portfolio.

GCTC President Ed Hughes led the ceremonies, which included greetings from Mr. Richard Jordan, Chairman of the GCTC Board of Directors; The Honorable Steve Pendery, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tri-County Economic Development Corporation; and The Honorable Sal Santoro, Kentucky District 60 Representative, The Honorable Gary Moore, the Boone County Judge Executive. Dr. Michael McCall, President of the Kentucky Community and Technical College, and Mr. Joseph Meyer, Secretary of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet offered remarks and congratulations.

Michael Jacobs, Vice President of Omni Architects, also received special recognition during the ceremony. Michael presented Dr. Hughes with the 2010 AIA Kentucky Merit Award for Design Excellence awarded to GCTC and Omni in October at the 2010 AIA Indiana/Kentucky Convention.

The ceremony concluded with an official ribbon-cutting assisted by two robots. Building tours and demonstrations of the mechatronics trainers were offered following the ceremony.

gctc offers students new high-tech, sustainable training center

July 10

When the Gateway Community and Technical College opens the doors of its new Center for Manufacturing Competitiveness for classes this fall, students will get the benefit of new training space that is both high-tech and energy efficient. The new facility at the GCTC Boone Campus in Florence houses special laboratory classrooms devoted to leading edge manufacturing processes, mechatronics, robotics, simulators, electronics, and industrial maintenance.

Some of the key sustainable features of the new Center designed by Omni Architects include the use of low-e insulated, fritted glass and exterior sun shades on the south façade of the building to reduce cooling demands and generous use of light wells throughout the building bring natural light into interior spaces. Building systems incorporated by Paladin, Inc. offer a number of energy saving strategies including energy recovery from lab exhaust systems, time of day scheduling of HVAC equipment and lighting zones, and use of high-efficient, direct-drive air distribution fans with variable speed control. The site has been master planned in partnership with M2D Design Group for future buildings as the Boone Campus becomes the primary campus for related projects.

The Center includes an integrated factory-like advanced manufacturing instructional area, and also includes a library, learning center, faculty and staff offices, and GCTC's administrative office suite. Gathering places for informal student learning are incorporated throughout the building.

See more photos of the new GCTC Center for Manufacturing Competitiveness in our portfolio.

addition gives distinct identity to eku program of distinction
July 10
The new addition to the Stratton Building at Eastern Kentucky University offers new instructional space for the University’s highly recognized Program of Distinction. The College of Justice and Safety, led by Dean Allen Ault, offers unique programs in Assets Protection and Security, Correctional and Juvenile Justice Studies, Criminal Justice, Emergency Medical Care, Fire and Safety Engineering Technology, Homeland Security and Police Studies. The new 25,000 SF addition will better serve EKU students and faculty by bringing the College’s programs currently housed in other locations under one roof.

Inside the building, the sprawling complex offers faculty and students places to gather for learning and lounging including a student lounge area and 11 faculty offices overlooking the small lake behind the building. Student advising and alumni services offices are housed in a large suite at the building entry. A dedicated event space dubbed the "hub" is adjacent to the lobby and can facilitate lectures, job fairs, and other College events. Breakouts areas for larger visiting groups can use the new multi-level 80-seat classroom, graduate seminar room, multimedia intensive 46-seat classroom, and adjacent seating areas. The College’s Distance Education and Multimedia Services will benefit greatly from the new, nearly soundproof video recording studio and adjacent production spaces. Infrastructure is also given an upgrade with new electrical, communications, and fire alarm lines designed by CMTA Engineers allowing for future expansion of the buildings systems.

Outside the building, gathering areas include a new front plaza and a 2-level rear patio seating overlooking the lake. The addition’s exterior materials palette matches the existing building and offers an updated look to the 37 year-old facility with the incorporation of high performance glazing.

Though several sustainable strategies were used in the addition, such as low-emissivity glass and ENERGY STAR compliant roofing, the most important sustainable strategy was improving the usability of the existing complex as opposed to building a new one. During construction, contractors will be required to complete a waste management plan for demolition materials with a minimum goal of 50% salvaged or recycled.

With the bid opening scheduled for July 9, construction will begin August 1, enabling the new space to be open for classes beginning the Fall 2011 semester. Check out a brief video highlighting the upcoming building improvements on the EKU website.

new biology labs at UK open

February 10

Newly recruited researchers in the University of Kentucky Biology Department began using freshly renovated laboratory space designed by Omni Architects this semester. Located on the second floor of the Thomas Hunt Morgan Biological Sciences Building, the research labs used a modular approach reconciled with building's existing structural grid so that the same laboratory layout can be repeated down the length of the building in future renovations.

Biology students also recently began using renovated teaching labs in the basement of this building. The Omni design team, led by Omni Principal Eric Zabilka, redesigned four basement research laboratories with no exterior windows into useful instructional space through use of innovative indirect lighting. The ceiling space and all overhead utilities are painted white to brighten and lengthen the space. The furniture is configured using modular utilities so they can be reconfigured to suit each instructors' unique teaching approach.
The teaching labs also features a high degree of embedded technology including high resolution zoom cameras over the demonstration benches so students can digitally capture demonstrations in real time to use for future study.
See more photos and a full project description.

omni joins collaborative to develop LEED community

December 09

Earlier this year, Omni Architects became a partner in the Moderna community, America's first architecturally designed, LEED-certifiable residential development in Lexington, Kentucky. Located near Jacobson Park, the community is small by design and will feature 43 home sites developed as "high-concept" environmentally sensitive houses. The community is centered around the Miller Museum, which is owned by the Foundation for Advanced Architecture and designed by Jose Orbrerie, a collaborator with the legendary French architect Le Corbusier. Special access to the museum will be available to residents for events, parties, and receptions.

Omni is one of eight architecture studios assembled by The Miller Museum and The Foundation for Advanced Architecture to provide the design for each of the Moderna homes. Each homeowner will have the benefit of 175 years of collective experience in designing beautiful and functional residential space and the latest sustainable materials and techniques.

Projects are currently underway and lots are available for purchase. For more information, contact Michael Jacobs or visit the Moderna website.

uofl belknap research building to be renamed

October 09

The University of Louisville will name its Belknap Research Building after former University President John Shumaker at a dedication ceremony in November. Shumaker served as university president from 1995-2002, leading significant expansion in the university's research and academic missions during his term.

Designed by Omni Architects, the Belknap Research Building has received multiple awards for its design and construction including the 2005 Brick Award of Merit from the Kentuckiana Masonry Institute, the 2006 Kentuckiana ABC Capter President's Award in Construction, and the 2006 Kentuckiana ABC Chapter Mechanical Institutional Award of Honor.

psoc offers opportunity for minority business community

October 09

Messer Construction offered an special opportunity to Minority Business Enterprises (MBE's), Women-Owned Businesses (WBE's), and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE's) subcontractors to participate in the bidding of LFUCG's new Public Safety Operations Center designed by Omni Architects. The Construction Manager for the project, Messer invited over 40 businesses to a special Economic Inclusion Outreach Session on September 10 at Commerce Lexington, where they received 28 different bid packages, contract specifications and project requirements, as well as information about the many services of the Bluegrass Business Development Partnership. An informal networking session followed the presentations, giving business owners a chance to speak directly to the Messer team and other bidders and suppliers. For more information, read the article in the October issue of Business Focus (photo at left from page 7).

omni chosen for L&N historic railpark and train museum

September 09

Omni Architects has been retained by The Friends of the L&N Depot in Bowling Green, Kentucky, to design a historic replica of an original 19th century Railroad Roundhouse at The L&N Depot Historic RailPark and Train Museum. The mission of The Friends of the L&N Depot is “to facilitate display, exhibits, and programming which preserve and present railroad history in the context of its impact locally and as a vital role in our nation’s social and economic development.”

Part of their vision for the new roundhouse includes the idea that the ultimate users may be community organizations such as a Farmers Market, retail shops, restaurant and the growing HR&TM railcar collection. The project also includes the design of a 450 foot long train cover that protects an engine and four historic railroad cars from the weather elements and development of a site plan that includes a plaza style entrance and increased parking.

The Omni team for this project includes Sam Halley as Principal-In-Charge, Eric Zabilka as Project Manager, and Tracy Jones as Project Architect. Omni has teamed with Staggs and Fisher as MEP engineering consultants, BFMJ as structural consultants, and M2D Design Group as site design consultants for this project. The design team will be assisting the organization in seeking funding at both the federal and state levels to fully fund construction.

eku breaks ground on science building

April 09

The design team at Omni Architects joined Eastern Kentucky University President Doug Whitlock and a large group of university administrators, faculty and staff to break ground on Phase 1 of their new Science Building April 24. The new facility, expected to open Fall 2011, was heralded by many at the groundbreaking ceremony as a revolution in the way science will be taught and researched on campus. Eric Zabilka, Omni’s project manager, was among several speakers to address the large crowd.

View photos of the ceremony. and check out the live web cam of construction in progress. (refresh page to see update_.

nku new student union welcomes students to the fall semester

September 08

The new Northern Kentucky University Student Union designed by Omni Architects opened in time to welcome students to the beginning of their fall semester. The new “hub” of campus, the Student Union features expansive fritted glass exterior walls and sky lights and brings many aspects of the college experience into one facility. The first floor features five conference rooms, a state-of-the-art game room, and a media-filled ballroom, which is a great venue for entertainment. The second floor features seven unique dining venues, Starbucks, Edy’s ice cream and bakery, a convenience store, an atrium information desk and several lounges where students can meet and study. The third floor serves as the home to several student services offices and student organizations, as well as additional lounge areas.
Learn more at the NKU Student Union website.

northside library opens as lexington's largest branch public library

August 08

At more than 27,000 square feet, the new Northside Branch of the Lexington Public Library opened its doors in July, becoming the largest branch library in the city and the first to exclusively offer patrons self checkout. The high-demand facility has more than doubled the number of public computers to more than 60 to serve the 48,000+ people who used their computers last year. Envisioned as a library of the future, the new facility also features tutorial rooms, quiet reading rooms, computer training rooms, an expanded children’s area, a teen area, an outdoor reading porch and a expresso coffee bar café. Omni Architects, in cooperation with Vitetta of Philadelphia and CMTA Engineers, designed the new library with geothermal heating and cooling and other “green” elements to lower the new branch’s cost of operations and support the Library’s sustainability mission.