USU celebrates opening of new Ag Building
Supporters and contributors of USU’s new Agricultural Science Building stood shoulder to shoulder in the building’s atrium Wednesday and watched as USU President Stan Albrecht and College of Agriculture Dean Noelle Cockett performed the ribbon cutting ceremony, signifying the building’s completion.
“I am confident that USU will continue to honor the spirit of agriculture and all it represents in the coming decades,” Cockett said while addressing the crowd. “It’s certainly noteworthy that this ribbon-cutting event is held in the same year as the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act that created the land-grant system for the United States.”
After eight years of planning and waiting, the College of Agriculture has a new $43.1 million home on the Quad. Faculty and staff whose offices will be in the building were allowed to begin moving in Thursday, Cockett said, but classes will not be taught in the building until fall 2012.
The Luke Family Cafe on the Quad, located on the northwest corner of the first floor, will officially open its doors March 19 to begin serving hot drinks, sandwiches and pastries.
The building will not only house College of Agriculture classes and faculty offices. The college will share the building with classes and faculty from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Design funding for a new agriculture building was approved by the Utah Legislature in 2008 and again in 2010. Albrecht put obtaining funding for this building at the top of his priority list, Cockett said.
In the final stages of the 2010 legislative session, funding for the building was approved. One week after legislators approved funding, administrators signaled ground breaking for the new building, she said.
“We wanted a building that emphasized collaboration and connection and was a strong recognition of the natural world,” Cockett said.
The building is full of earth-friendly surprises, including limestone on the floor and stairs, cabinetry and walls built from sandalwood, natural furniture fabrics and a skylight illuminating each of the building’s four floors, Cockett said. The building also has solar panels, water-efficient landscaping procedures and motion-sensor lighting in almost every area, she said.
The inside of the building is full of natural colors, and natural light floods through windows surrounding the building.
“I wanted it to feel welcoming, warm (and) comfortable,” said Tom Peterson, the building’s interior designer. “Who doesn’t like to drive by a beautiful field of grain or corn? It’s just kind of a connection to Earth.”
Utah Commissioner of Agriculture Leonard Blackham also spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony and said he is proud of USU and the College of Agriculture for their growth, and he’s excited to see their continued growth with new facilities.
“I tip my cowboy hat to you for what you are doing for agriculture,” Blackham said.
The reason the U.S. can produce enough food for its population, Blackham said, is because education institutions like USU provide agricultural scientists that know how to do research and improve food-yielding processes. He said 14-19 percent of U.S. jobs are somehow tied to agriculture, and the workforce needs intelligent employees with sound educations to keep the field progressing.
“I can tell you that Utah citizens support you,” Blackham said. “They support local production. They want food security.”
Albrecht said with the real threat of food shortages in Third World countries, such as Haiti and Yemen, institutions of higher education must fuel agricultural research.
“This building will make sure that Utah State University is at the forefront of what is being done in these critical areas,” he said.
CSRA Architectural Firm, HDR Architectural Firm and Jacobsen Construction all played key roles in creating and executing the vision for the building from its early stages, Cockett said.
When the introduction to the new building ended, visitors were welcomed to tour the 125,000-square-foot building while trying a new Aggie Ice Cream flavor called Sunshine and Chocolate — a lemon custard with chocolate chips — which was made and distributed specifically to celebrate the Agricultural Science Building’s completion.
Albrecht said there are future plans to fund a building for Agriculture Research Services. Originally, the proposed Agricultural Science Building would share the space with the College of Agriculture and ARS, but the Legislature turned down the proposition.
Many spaces throughout the building are named after inividuals who contributed to the facility.
– catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.edu
THE NEW AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE BUILDING is 125,000-square feet and features many large windows and a skylight to let natural light in. The building houses the Luke Family Cafe which will open March 19. MELODY SANCHEZ photo, CODY GOCHNOUR photo
