The Shippingport project commenced in late 2008, when students were asked to analyze and create strategic design proposals for the port area intended to stimulate economic development and to attract much-needed jobs.
From May 25 to June 8, 2009, a large model of development proposals were displayed in the atrium gallery of 21c Museum, which was the result of a year-long research and design study conducted by the students for the redevelopment of the Shippingport area.
The Shippingport area is located just west of downtown Louisville and is considered to be an important area of the city because of its significant waterfront and extensive infrastructure, offering huge potential for future development. The development process has witnessed limitations because the entire area is cut off from the rest of the city by the freeway.
The fall semester research studio of architecture students in late 2008 came up with a variety of proposals. This team was led by Gary Bates, Brown Forman Visiting Chair in Urban Design, and principal architect of Norway’s Spacegroup Architects.
One of the proposals urged for the creation of a complex of business incubators and necessary vocational schools, including a culinary school with a restaurant.
Another proposal showcased the development of a centralized hospitality complex served by a light rail that would tie together the many entertainment events hosted by the city. A further scheme suggested the creation of a network of pocket parks that connect to the existing Olmstead Park system.
Construction of a new Green Ford Motor Company Campus, where a line of hybrid and electric products would be designed, developed and built formed another scheme for the port project.
Students from the spring semester studio in early 2009 have developed these proposals into design projects. This student architecture team was led by Julien de Smedt, another Brown Forman professor and principal of JDS Architects in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The College of Design comprises the School of Architecture, the School of Interior Design, and the Department of Historic Preservation.
Shippingport is an industrial site and former settlement near Louisville, on a peninsula near the falls of the Ohio. The area was devastated by the Ohio River flood of 1937, which forced most of the remaining families to leave.
