University of Louisville Belknap Classroom Building & pedestrian plaza

CARMAN worked with a multi-discipline design team on the on the University of Louisville’s main campus. The nearly 4-acre project includes a 155,000SF state-of-the-art classroom building as well as the surrounding quad space and cross-campus bicycle pedway, transforming from a previous service alley.

In addition to the landscape and civil engineering design for the Belknap Academic Building exterior, the University of Louisville selected CARMAN to create a new pedestrian corridor through the heart of campus. Formerly Brook Street, the alley was reimagined as a phased, multi-modal plaza. A dedicated bicycle lane undulates alongside the pedestrian path. Secondary sidewalks weave throughout the plaza, connecting existing access corridors. Plantings follow along the path where trees will shade future generations of University of Louisville students. Integral seating walls and benches provide informal gathering areas. The corridor invites activity through its playful design and is a remarkable contrast to the former alleyway. This project is an example of creative integration of various means of mobility through an active campus space.