North Carolina State University Dedicates Plant Sciences Building

North Carolina State University dedicated the $160.2 million Plant Sciences Building in Raleigh in April of 2022. Designed by Flad Architects, the 185,000-sf facility enables academic, government, and industry researchers to develop innovative solutions for global agricultural challenges. Located on the Centennial Campus, the five-story building offers 80,000 sf of research labs, 17,000 sf of shared conference space, and 10,000 sf of industry labs for partners including Bayer, BASF, SAS, and Novozymes. Topped by 10,000 sf of BSL-2P and BSL-3P greenhouses with advanced environmental controls, the transdisciplinary structure also houses three core facilities: the Cellular and Molecular Imaging Facility, the Genomic Sciences Lab, and the Molecular Education, Technology, and Research Innovation Center. Featuring a 1,050-sf maker space for the rapid prototyping of plant monitoring and cropping technologies, the building provides four precision growth chambers, a data sciences think tank, and labs for genotyping, mass spectrometry, metabolomics, ag-bio engineering, and chemical and soils analysis. 

An office area incorporates an array of environments for different activities, ranging from large venues for team meetings to small, enclosed huddle rooms for quiet thinking. Shared amenity zones are arranged thematically by floor. Fostering workforce training initiatives and regional economic development, the Plant Sciences Building includes a demonstration lab for community outreach and education programs, while coworking venues and shared equipment are available in the 10,000-sf Collaborative Hearth. DPR Construction was the general contractor for the facility, which is expected to attain LEED sustainable design certification. Ground was broken on the project in September of 2019.