University of Kentucky Cooper House

This project renovated the Cooper House for the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment. Cooper House, located on the corner of Nicholasville Road and
Cooper Drive, was constructed in approximately 1880 and acquired by UK in 1940. The building is on the University’s list of historical structures and was home to Dean Thomas Poe Cooper for whom the House is named. The renovation and restoration of the Cooper House included a reception area to welcome prospective students, faculty, visitors, and industry partners; meeting rooms; and space to showcase goods and products.

The building systems for this project consist of a new geothermal well field, consisting of 6 vertical bore loops with incline hydronic pumps, serving water source heat pump units located in the basement and mechanical closets throughout the building. The system is controlled by a full Building Automation System utilized to control space temperature, humidity, and occupancy schedules. The renovation work replaced all existing plumbing throughout the facility, providing new updated restroom facilities and workroom areas.

The electrical system throughout the building was completely replaced with new infrastructure, including complete LED Lighting throughout the building and on the exterior. The exterior lighting was selected to be color changing to allow the facility to display different colors for support of campus activities.