Plant and Environmental Science Building

Overview of Scope:

The new building would provide new capacity, align modern building infrastructure and space functionality and support the consolidation of top ranked researchers and students, thereby enabling new synergies and enhancing potential for discovery. It would provide the same quality of research facilities as competitive institutions and allow the university to attract and retain leading scientists, expand research to support Michigan, US and global agriculture, and increase federal funding in high-demand research areas.

The programmatic vision focuses on research at the interface of plants and the environment with a focus on agriculture and ecological resilience; fundamental mechanisms of plant growth, photosynthesis, and evolution and resistance to stress/change. Planning for the building will consider the programmatic needs of research in photosynthesis and plant resilience, regenerative agriculture, and environmental science and ecology.

The building would primarily include wet-bench laboratory research space, support facilities including growth chambers, and collaborative spaces.

The anticipated location is in the central academic district adjacent to the Biomedical and Physical Sciences Building. Proximity to the existing Plant Sciences neighborhood is critical to the collaborative nature of the research, sharing of resources, and operational efficiencies. Site evaluation will account for infrastructure requirements. This project and its planning will set the stage for demolition of the Center for Integrated Plant Systems Building, and future adaptative re-use of the Plant Biology Building for further thematic colocation of programs, thereby reducing capital renewal costs.

Further reading:

• MSU Trustees approve construction of new Plant and Environmental Sciences Building
• MSU’s new Plant and Environmental Sciences Building critical to advancing climate-resilient plants

Phase

• Construction

Schedule and Budget

• Construction start: October 2024
• $195 million

Capital project number

• CP22084