UK student-designed emergency housing finds permanent home

Anyone who has passed the University of Kentucky’s Gray Design Building in the last year may remember the small wooden structure stationed out front. The full-scale, modular emergency housing prototype — created through the UK College of Design’s design-build studio — has occupied the loading dock for more than three semesters.

Now, the project has reached a new milestone.

The structure has moved to its permanent home in Eastern Kentucky and is open to the public — marking its transition from concept to completion. 

Designed for easy replication in rapid deployment scenarios, the modular unit was relocated to the UK Robinson Center in Jackson, Kentucky, in partnership with UK’s Cooperative Extension Service through the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Sited in a highly visible, community-centered location, the project serves as a tangible example of how this approach can be applied locally. 

“The idea of bringing it here is that it's kind of a demonstration project so people can come and see it and maybe get some excitement about making more of these,” said Bruce Swetnam, the Kentuckiana Masonry Institute Endowed Professor in the UK School of Architecture and faculty member overseeing this design-build studio. 

The prototype was developed as a model for what more permanent recovery housing could look like in emergency situations, offering an alternative to temporary solutions like mobile homes or FEMA trailers that are often removed once initial assistance ends. It can be rapidly deployed to meet essential needs, while its oversized core systems — such as the kitchen, bathroom and electrical infrastructure — are built to support future expansion. The design allows residents to add to the structure over time as they recover financially, transforming it from a temporary shelter into a permanent home. Unlike trailers or mobile homes that depreciate, the unit is intended to grow in value — offering a more durable, adaptable and long-term housing solution. 

The idea for the prototype emerged when Swetnam reflected on the devastating floods in Eastern Kentucky that left many residents displaced. He challenged his students to consider how their skills as designers could be used to respond in meaningful, real-world ways. Through site visits to Breathitt County — home to UK’s Robinson Center — and conversations with flood-affected residents and local officials, students grounded their design in community needs, shaping a solution that prioritizes practical living and shared spaces like the kitchen. 

“As a land-grant institution with the benefit of extension offices, we were able to actually engage with the community and work on this,” Swetnam said. “It’s a great learning experience for students to engage with the community, meet a need and understand that architecture can be a service to people.” 

Over the course of nearly two years, students led the project from initial planning and framing to exterior cladding and roofing, and finally to interior finishes, bringing the prototype to life step by step and gaining hands-on experience along the way. “I love the fact that we get to be so personal with the design,” said Andrew Galbraith, UK architecture student. “I’ve learned so much more this year than I have any other year just working on a computer.” 

Galbraith and his classmates spent their studio time this semester focusing on the interior details of the prototype. The group did everything from painting and staining to installing the plywood walls, trim, countertop and loft-access ladder — skills that are relevant to many fields beyond architecture.  

“I’ve learned a lot of life skills, especially when it comes to building,” said Kendall Lindquist, interiors student. “I’ve also learned a lot of stuff that I would never learn in interior design, so it’s good to get two different points of view.” 

Moments like these illustrate the impact of learning that extends beyond the studio. At its core, this work embodies what it means to be Kentucky’s land-grant university: collaborating with communities, building resilience together and preparing future leaders to serve across the Commonwealth. 

That commitment to preparing future leaders is at the heart of the College of Design’s design-build certificate program, a cross-disciplinary offering developed in partnership with design-build firm Gray. As the partnership continues to grow, Gray and the certificate program’s organizers hope to expand its reach to include students outside of the design discipline, recognizing that solutions like these are never built in isolation, but through collaboration across fields to better serve Kentucky communities. 

“I feel like this gave me real world experience, like it gave me something that I could utilize in the future,” architecture student Daniela Martinez said. “I'm just really glad that I'm part of this.” 

The project culminated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony and community celebration at UK Robinson Center on July 31. Attendees heard from participating students, faculty, donors and college leaders.  

“When we began this journey in early 2025, the design existed only in sketches and discussions. Standing here today, it is incredible to see how that shared vision became reality through the dedication of so many people,” said Emilie Rice, a student in the project’s Spring 2025 studio and the event’s student speaker.  “What I will remember most, however, is not just the final result but the people behind it. Meeting with community members and local leaders who shared their experiences and the realities of rebuilding after the floods was the most meaningful part of this project. Those conversations became the foundation behind the design, reminding us that architecture, at its core, is about people.   

This project was supported by Gray, a fully integrated design-builder and nationally recognized construction and engineering firm, in collaboration with the UK College of Design and UK Cooperative Extension. 

Learn more about the initial phases of the project, UK College of Design, UK Cooperative Extension Service and UK’s land-grant engagement mission.