By Roxy Osborne and Jai’Michael Anderson

A  large metal fence surrounding the Life Sciences Building greeted University of Louisville students and faculty on the first day of the Spring 2026 semester. Construction on the building is scheduled to continue through December 2026.

The gate blocks access to the inside of the building. The frequently used path that runs through it is also inaccessible.

Although the gate was installed over winter break, renovations to the building started in November 2025. U of L Department of Biology’s official Instagram page announced that “faculty offices, research labs, teaching labs and the main Biology office” moved to various locations on HSC and Belknap campuses on Nov. 17.

The project also relocated the psychology department.

Construction details

In a statement to The Louisville Cardinal, Interim Vice President of Communications and Marketing John Karman said the Life Sciences Building is undergoing a major upgrade to its HVAC and mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. The construction resumed in January and is scheduled through December.

“This work includes replacement of aging mechanical, electrical, life safety, and HVAC systems, along with associated ceiling tile replacement and lighting improvements,” said Karman.

“The primary objective of this project is to replace obsolete and end-of-life building systems that can no longer reliably support the facility, while also improving indoor air quality, life-safety performance, energy efficiency, and overall compliance with current building codes and standards,” he said.

The perimeter of the Life Sciences Building on the Belknap campus is fenced off due to construction, Jan. 7, 2026. (Photo by Jai’Michael Anderson / The Louisville Cardinal)

What’s changing?

Chair of the Biology Department, Linda Fuselier, whose office is in the building, says updates to the Life Sciences Building have been minimal since its construction in 1969. The electrical system’s age required a complete update to the building.

“If something would have broken in the electric system, it is likely that the building would have been shut down because the system is so old that there are no replacement parts available,” she said. “The best way to do this was to get ahead of it.”

The teaching and research labs also lacked important safety features required by the Department of Environmental Health and Safety. 

“We were always on the verge of being shut down,” she said. “our safety equipment was terrible and they’re going to replace it.”

Eye-wash stations, safety showers and six fume hoods will be added this year. Fuselier says the fume hoods will expand research opportunities for students and faculty.

A few labs will also be renovated. A small lab in the basement that she described as will be a major upgrade for Fuselier’s department. 

“It was always just ridiculously hot in there to the point students didn’t want to go in,” said Fuselier.

Students will see new ceilings tiles, LED lighting and updated flooring throughout the building when they return. A new roof is also expected to be built in July 2026.

All labs also received American Disability Act complying zones in Summer 2025. Before this, Fuselier says the building had one elevator and one disability accessible bathroom on opposite sides of the building.

A challenging process

In 2024, Kentucky legislators gave U of L $69.1 million for asset preservation. According to a U of L News report, the university was required to match the funds with $17.3 million. This renovation is one of several projects funded. Similar updates to the Natural Science Building were finished in 2025.

Plans for the Life Sciences Building began in Fall 2023 but relocating multiple labs, heavy appliances and 33 faculty members delayed the project’s timeline. The biology department needed to ensure that its professors could continue their research with the disruptions.

“Over the last calendar year, we’ve slowly been moving people out of the building into their temporary locations and started with the faculty that have some fairly complex labs,” said Fuselier.

The Department of Environmental Health and Safety regulations required specific handling of the chemicals, equipment and organisms in the research labs.

“You’re not allowed to move chemicals yourself from one building to another, much less across to another campus,” Fuselier said.

During construction, the biology department was spread across nine buildings and two campuses. The Psychology department also relocated to Lutz Hall.

Photo by Jai’Michael Anderson / The Louisville Cardinal