West gets a little wilder with new agriculture building on Texas A&M campus
COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M University’s West Campus in College Station is getting a little wilder with the start of a fourth building in the Agriculture and Life Sciences Complex on John Kimbrough Blvd. near Reed Arena.
Texas A&M University System officials celebrated breaking ground for the Wildlife, Fisheries and Ecological Sciences Building on Nov. 13. When finished in June 2017, the building will complete the modern, four-building complex, which includes the Agriculture and Life Sciences Building, the AgriLife Center, and the AgriLife Services Building. Those three buildings were completed in 2011-12.
“This state-of-the-art facility will further affirm our reputation for having one of the best agricultural programs in the entire world and will strengthen our ability to tackle real-world challenges in areas that are increasingly important in the 21st century, such as environmental sustainability and conservation,” said Texas A&M President Michael K. Young.
The complex, which joins seven existing agriculture and life sciences buildings on the West Campus, are reminiscent of the original Main Campus of Texas A&M where agriculture formed the nucleus of structures around the East Gate, according to Dr. Mark Hussey, vice chancellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences.
“This addition to our complex on West Campus strengthens our commitment to educating students and conducting top-notch research and extension programs in the most modern facilities,” Hussey said. “It also symbolizes our commitment to being good stewards of the land, air, soil and water.”
The 80,000 square-foot Wildlife, Fisheries and Ecological Sciences Building will house the department of wildlife and fisheries sciences and portions of the ecosystem science and management department. It will provide office space for about 150 people, bringing the total to 600 faculty, staff and researchers in the complex.
Like its companion buildings, the new building will be built to U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver standard and will capture and store rainwater for on-site landscape irrigation.
The $32-million dollar building was designed by Kirksey Architecture and is being built by Skanska.
