UK Cancer and Advanced Ambulatory Building, Lexington, Kentucky
The University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., wanted a new home for oncology care that would build upon its status as a destination academic medical center and consolidate previously dispersed oncology specialty clinics and support services.
The 550,000-square-foot Cancer and Advanced Ambulatory Building broke ground in April 2024 and will house the UK Markey Cancer Center, Kentucky’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. The expansion project will also house the Comprehensive Spine Center, ambulatory surgery space, and other outpatient services.
Academic medical center addition
Expected to be completed in 2027, the UK Markey Cancer Center will house consolidated services into one location and will be designed to foster collaboration among clinicians and researchers. Additionally, it will create space and resources for advancements such as outpatient bone marrow transplants, precision medicine, and apheresis.
The UK Markey Cancer Center is designed to focus on the patient experience, prioritizing intuitive wayfinding and daylight-infused spaces throughout the campus. Generous outdoor spaces such as a park-like courtyard, gardens, and patios are also planned for staff and visitors.
HGA (Minneapolis) is the architect and interior designer on the project and Champlin/EOP Architects (Cincinnati) is serving as the architect of record.
Campus orientation
The Cancer and Advanced Ambulatory Building will be oriented away from the acute care hospital’s main campus entry to create the feeling of an outpatient pavilion at a smaller, more welcoming scale.
To support a healing patient experience, materials such as wood, stone, and colors that evoke Kentucky landscapes are employed to create a sense of warmth and familiarity.
UK Cancer and Advanced Ambulatory Building project details
Location: Lexington, Ky.
Completion date: 2027
Owner: University of Kentucky
Total building area: 550,000 sq. ft.
Total construction cost: Not disclosed
Cost/sq. ft.: Not disclosed
Architect: HGA (design architect), Champlin/EOP Architects (architect of record)
Interior designer: HGA
General contractor: Walsh Construction
Engineers: CMTA and AEI (MEP), THP (structural)
Technology: Vantage Technology Consulting
Medical equipment planner: Walsh Consulting Group
Builder: Walsh Construction
Landscape architect: OLIN, Carmen
Art consultant: UK Arts in Healthcare
Planning consultant: JumpGarden Consulting
Signage/wayfinding consultant: Cardosi Kiper Design Group
Lighting consultant: Pivotal Lighting Design
Carpet/flooring: Interface, Bentley
Ceiling/wall systems: Certainteed, Navy Island, Arktura
Doors/locks/hardware: AD Systems, Stanley, Assa Abloy
Fabric/textiles: Wolf Gordon, Designtex, Maharam
Handrails/wall guards: Acrovyn, InPro
Headwalls/booms: Herman Miller
Surfaces—solid/other: Cambria, Corian, Hanstone, Wilsonart, Meganite
Wallcoverings: Carnegie, Maharam, Wolf Gordon, MDC, AiNO
Project details are provided by the design team and not vetted by Healthcare Design.
