Construction Estimates on Texas A&M’s Agriculture Building #5

In 2017, Halford Busby worked with Randall Scott Architects to provide two estimates at the Schematic Design and Design Development milestones on Texas A&M University’s Agriculture Building #5 in College Station, Texas. The new building is home to the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology and, thus, is also called the Plant Pathology Building. According to Texas A&M Today, “As agriculture works to produce more food and fiber while using less land, water and agronomic inputs, this new state-of-the-art home for Plant Pathology and Microbiology will move solutions forward for Texas A&M and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.”

Key project features include:

• 85,496 square feet of building space with:
  • four floors of (BSL-2-P) microbiology, plant pathology, and agriculture laboratories,
  • a three-floor wing of 21st century innovative classrooms,
  • an extensive, instructional rooftop lab,
  • 20 research labs,
  • a 300-seat tiered lecture hall,
  • two 75- to 100-seat seminar rooms,
  • a 100- to 200-seat auditorium,
  • teaching support spaces and
  • administrative offices.
• 1,764 square feet of greenhouse space

 

The Plant Pathology Building uses modern energy conservation design concepts such as air-size economizers, variable air volume air handling units, energy recovery run-around coils on the exhaust air fan systems, a lab trac control system for the labs as well as low flow fixtures and lighting controls. All these factors contributed to the building attaining a LEED Silver designation per the U.S. Green Building Council.

The building adopted a “Science on Display” theme with the goal of engaging the broader community and attracting future students. The cost of the new construction was $38.8 million. The project was completed in 2019 and the building officially opened October 25, 2019.

We encourage you to learn more about Halford Busby’s other projects in the higher education industry sector.

 

Sources:

• Muntean, Laura. Texas A&M Today, “Texas A&M AgriLife Opens New Plant Pathology And Microbiology Building,” October 25, 2019, https://today.tamu.edu/2019/10/25/texas-am-agrilife-opens-new-plant-pathology-and-microbiology-building/, accessed November 29, 2021.
• Randall Scott Architects, http://www.rsarchitects.com/texas-am-university/, accessed November 29, 2021.
• Shah Smith & Associates, Inc., “Texas A&M University, Agriculture Building No. 5,” https://shahsmith.com/project/texas-am-university-agriculture-building-no-5/,  accessed November 29, 2021.