The New Vision of Health Campus (NVHC) is an adaptive reuse of both the historic 11-story Republic Building and the 5-story Harmony Building, along with a new 5-story addition to the east, totaling 120,000 square feet. The combination of the (3) buildings will facilitate labs and offices to promote research into how different environmental conditions and behaviors impact human health, namely physical activity and nutrition. Moreover, the building’s adaptive reuse has been focused on sustainability, with pursuits to establish LEED and WELL Building standards. The building facade’s lush landscape and cliff-inspired ecological design are engineered to efficiently capture, filter, and reuse stormwater. In recognition of its innovative approach, the project received a first-of-its-kind grant from Louisville Metro to support campus stormwater management, with the ultimate goal of eliminating the need to use potable water for irrigation of planters.

The structural renovation for the existing building, which is predominantly a concrete structure, includes foundation reinforcement via micropiles and floor reinforcement for necessary live load upgrades. The new east-addition structure is concrete flat plate on concrete columns, utilizing column stud rails and 80ksi reinforcing bars required for the heavy load demand from the GFRC façade, integrated planters, and occupancy.​​​​​​​​​​​​

Photography
Renderings courtesy of K. Norman Berry Associate Architects