Prairie View A&M Breaks Ground on Ag Business Building

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas — Construction has begun on the new Agriculture & Business Multipurpose Classroom Building at Prairie View A&M University. Plans were finalized in August 2013, and crews broke ground on the 96,000-square-foot facility shortly after the New Year.

San Antonio-based architecture firm Overland Partners designed the new facility, which will house the university’s College of Agriculture and Human Sciences, as well as the College of Business. The state-of-the-art, L-shaped structure is designed to fulfill future educational needs and serve as a pivotal recruiting tool for both departments.

“In order to unlock the embedded potential of this project, it was crucial that we successfully execute three major design objectives during the planning process – specifically, to provide room for growth without making the building seem ‘empty;’ to clearly express the unique identities of both colleges, while simultaneously creating an ‘owned by all’ atmosphere; and to actively connect the building with campus life outside the classroom,” said James Lancaster, project manager at Overland.

“We also aimed to tie the building to the university’s cultural heritage and personality, while creating an image that’s forward-looking and aspirational,” Lancaster added.

The four-story building’s first two levels will offer plenty of spaces for students to gather, study and socialize. According to a release issued by Overland Partners, these non-classroom areas will also utilize transparent building materials to blur the lines between the facility and its surrounding environment. As it will be located in the geographical heart of the campus, the new building will also provide a new central gathering spot for the student body.

Inside, the Agriculture & Business Multipurpose Classroom Building will include a high tech trading room with a stock ticker visible both inside and outside the building, a 400-seat auditorium, student lounge, agriculture teaching laboratories, meeting rooms and facility-wide wireless access. Meanwhile the upper floors will house the university’s Small Business Development Center and Center for International Business Education. The building will also be home to the campus’s first clock-bell tower, which will further position it as a hub for student life and activity.

“This building represents much more than academics to the university. Indeed it will further reinforce our mission of teaching, research and service. This project will offer cross-curriculum opportunities in new and exciting ways, both inside and outside the classroom,” said Prairie View A&M University president George C. Wright.

The project team also includes The Linbeck Group, which will serve as the general contractor, and interior design firm Studio 8 Architects. Ulrich Engineers, Clearly Zimmerman, JQ, 3P Engineers and Cude Engineering will contribute engineering expertise, while 4b Technology, Accessibilty Unlimited, Hughes Associates, JEAcoustics and Project Cost Resources will serve in various technical and design capacities. Coleman & Associates will be responsible for landscape architecture.

Construction on the new facility is slated for completion in time for the fall 2015 semester. Meanwhile the university has also broken ground on a new retail center project, which will include a supermarket, bowling alley and restaurant. Additional businesses such as a dry cleaner and salon may be added in the future.