CREJ

March 2021 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \ 67 F rom the food we eat to the clothes we wear, agri- cultural science is an essential field that requires innovators and entrepreneurs who are constantly working to meet the demands of a growing global population while combating the effects of climate change. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports strong employment opportunities for expertise in food, agri- culture, renewable natural resources and the environment over the next five years with an average of 59,400 openings annually, which has grown steadily over the past five years at a rate of 2.6% ( https://www.purdue.edu/usda/employment/) . Since its inception as one of the first land grant universities, Colorado State University remains strongly tied to agricultural studies. CSU’s College of Agricul- tural Sciences is a highly ranked program, world-renowned for its research in dryland farming, crop rotation and integrated pest management. Realizing the need to keep pace with the growth in the agricultural industry and meet the de- mands of modern science education, CSU embarked on an ambitious campaign to renovate and expand Shepardson Hall. The historic building has been home to the college since its opening in 1938 and remains a proud part of CSU’s Aggie heritage. The new agricultural sciences building is one of the many examples of CSU’s continuing land-grant mission of access, inclusion and opportunity to drive re- search and innovation. Each year’s entering freshman class includes first-gener- ation students fromrural agrarian communities throughout theWest. Since 2006, CSU has invested $1.8 billion systemwide in new facilities, including renovation of the college’s Animal Sciences building, as well as construction of the newHor- ticulture Center, the Center for Agriculture Education at ARDEC, the JBS Global Food Innovation Center and the Western Campus in Orchard Mesa. The revitalization of ShepardsonHall seeks to address CSU’s increased capacity demands and combine program spaces that are scattered across the campus. In addition, it preserves the historic nature of the 1938-built building. Upon comple- tion in June 2022, the Shepardson Hall project will include approximately 41,000 square feet of renovated space and double its footprint with 39,000 sf of new space. Our design team performed master planning concepts through site plan- ning and user meetings that informed the building additions and site design. The project is registered LEED Gold for its sustainable building features. “There are so many challenges surrounding food security, food safety and the complex science needed to keep up with increasing demand,” said Tim Barr, Can- nonDesign’s Denver office practice leader. “We hope the spaces created within Feeding the World Through Advanced Agricultural Science and Research Don Grody Principal, CannonDesign