This summer, we had the opportunity to sit with Facilities Services Project Manager Dan Smith to talk about the newly opened Agriculture and Natural Resources Building (ANRB) on the UTIA campus as Dan was instrumental in seeing this project through to completion. Dan shared some of his favorite features of ANRB as well as some behind the scenes information that is sure to make Facilities Services and our campus even prouder to feature this facility. Our conversation is below.
Q: Of all the unique features in ANRB, what are your top 3? Why?
Smith said that ANRB’s green roof is a favorite feature of his. While we have other green roofs on campus, this is the first one where we’ve had an opportunity to collaborate with the Plant Sciences department to create a less formal landscape and move to a more natural mix of native plants selected specifically to aid in teaching efforts. The green roof also evokes hills/a rolling motion and has 8 relatively large research planting beds available for educational planting.
Smith also thinks the “living room” feel of the main common space is unique with its large high ceiling space featuring lots of natural light and bright accents. This space includes seating areas that are designed for relaxation and collaboration outside of the classroom. It’s also a good mix of a space for students to rest and simply “exist” but has elements of a social space, too.
The dining facility (to open at a later date), Orange Acres, will also be a unique feature as it will partner with UTIA to serve UT beef. The location will feature images from UT farmland, and you’ll see campus’s first-ever food lockers used to streamline the order ahead process.
Q: What do you think the ANRB facility adds that our campus is in need of?
There are truly a lot of features of ANRB that fill gaps in what was needed and what was available. That includes the living room space, new modern labs on floors 2-4 with state-of-the-art equipment and windows into the labs from the doors and the exterior (on the western side). These windows allow others a glimpse into science on display while giving graduate researchers the opportunity to see into their lab space without being in the same room.
On the first floor of ANRB, you’ll see terrazzo floors, but on the levels where research takes place, you’ll find polished concrete. This was a special request from building users who spend much of their days in fields and on farms. The addition of polished concrete floors makes it easier to clean up after muddy boots and removes carpet cleaning from the Building Services workload.
Q: Is there a space or spaces within ANRB that you’d like to highlight for readers?
One of the most innovative spaces in ANRB is the new auditorium which can be split 1/3 & 2/3 to create two smaller spaces. Dan has already received great feedback as this space is proving incredibly successful. Over the summer, the Beef Federation and the UT Board of Trustees have both hosted events. The auditorium will be a focal point for many who enter this space, and Smith takes pride in its function and form.