North Dakota State University Starts Construction on Research Lab

North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D., recently began construction on the new, $78-million Bolley Agricultural Research Laboratory, according to a news release. The university partnered with JLG Architects and Clark & Enersen for the building’s design and with Kraus-Anderson for its construction.

The facility will measure in at 170,700 square feet and is one of the largest capital projects in university history. The lab will contain space for the university’s plant pathology, plant breeding, weed science, agronomy, soil science, and horticulture programs. It will include spring wheat, durum, and winter wheat lab spaces to provide space to the state’s wheat producers, the news release reports.

Amenities will include three greenhouses of 10,000 square feet each; dedicated plant science and horticultural labs; a seed drying line; seed coolers and freezers; and seed cleaning, processing, and storage areas. The project has an anticipated completion date of fall 2026.

NDSU has partnered with Kraus-Anderson on several recent construction projects, including Catherine Cater Hall, Sugihara Hall, the Peltier Complex, and the Nodak Insurance Football Performance Complex, according to the news release.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Arlington High School

    Arlington High School

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Arlington High School has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.

  • Texas Recruitment

    Texas Recruitment

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The University of Texas at Austin's Texas Recruitment has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of Renovation.

  • Higher Ed is Betting on New Buildings While Quietly Undermining Their Campuses — Here’s Why

    In this climate, the owner’s representative has changed from a delivery-focused advisor to a strategic campus partner. Institutions are increasingly relying on owner’s reps not just to manage, cope, schedule, and budget, but also help evaluate whether a project should proceed at all.

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.