Gray Celebrates Investment in Future of Design-Build

The Gray family along with the company, partnered with the University to sponsor the design, renovation, and construction of a dedicated building for the CoD, now known as the Gray Design Building.

Additionally, the funding included a new design-build curriculum at the college. The new design-build curriculum is a collaboration with UK’s College of Engineering at the Gatton School of Business and Economics. 

“At Gray, we value investing in people, and this new facility represents an opportunity to serve with that same heart – to invest in the future for countless young people who will be pioneers in firms and communities around the world,” said Stephen Gray, president & CEO, Gray, Inc. “I’d like to also recognize how special this school has been to our family, business, and so many of those who’ve given their careers to Gray.”

The 132,000 s.f. repurposed building now features open studio spaces, collaboration spaces, student work areas, and state-of-the-art technology to enhance the learning experience, including fabrication spaces, a wood shop, 3D printers, a 3D knitting machine, and more. 

The project to redesign the former tobacco warehouse that had remained empty for several years was taken on by Studio Gang. This beautiful new space is now a highlight for the UK campus for “adaptive reuse”—the practice of creatively repurposes existing buildings for new purposes. 

“This building represents more than just a stunning example of adaptive re-use. It’s a symbol of opportunity, growth, and the limitless potential that exists within every student who will walk through these doors,” said Dowell Hoskins, president & CEO, Gray AE.

To learn more about the new Gray Design Building, visit here.

About Gray:

Consistently ranked among the top construction and engineering firms in the U.S., Gray focuses on the following markets for domestic and international customers: Food & Beverage, Manufacturing, Data Centers, Advanced Technology, Distribution, and Commercial, with nearly 30 offices across North America, Europe, and Asia. 

Founded in 1960, Gray has grown to include a family of companies designed to augment and enhance each firm’s specialized capabilities. Our robust offering—which includes engineering, design, construction, and operational improvements—enables the Company to deliver products and services of the highest value to the world’s leading organizations.  

For more information on Gray, visit gray.com and follow Gray on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. 

About UK: 

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It’s all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $501 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.