As part of its mission as a land-grant institution, Central State University is expanding its research footprint with a new, agricultural research facility—an investment in innovation, education, and community impact. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the building supports CSU’s growing Research and Extension Program, with a focus on sustainable agriculture, water resource management, community and youth development, and public health.
The new facility features both wet and dry labs designed to advance research in food safety, soil science, and precision agriculture. Three ISO 5 clean rooms ensure the contamination control required for high-standard agricultural research. Strategically located as the first structure within a planned 100-acre agricultural campus, the building sets the tone for CSU’s long-term vision: leading innovation in agriculture while serving communities across Ohio.
The building marks the entrance to the campus extension and is the precedent for material and sustainable site development for future buildings. The design preserves the agriculture viability of the site and maintains the integrity of the research plots by minimizing runoff pollutants. The building, designed using agrarian references, puts science on display through views of the laboratories. CSU will host other state and academic institutions in pursuit of science developments while creating an inclusive environment that breaks barrier access to those in pursuit of a scientific career.
