International Architecture Awards Tell a friend
ARCHIVE 2025
International Architecture Awards
Architects: Erdy McHenry Architecture
Lead Architects: Kevin Aires and David McHenry
Design Team: Scott Erdy and Elena Mangigian
Associate Architects: MA Design
Design Team: Ken Cleaver
Client: The Ohio State Univerity
General Contractor: CK Construction Group
Landscape Architects: Eric Davis, Surface 678
Photographers: Brad Feinknopf, Feinknopf Photography
Universities across the globe are in a race to support and create stable food production methods that are responsive to growing and evolving population demographics and changes in regional climates and ecologies. The Controlled Environment Agricultural Research Complex (CEARC) is an integrated teaching and research facility for the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University. This research facility includes 80,000 sq ft of research space supported by 49,000 sq ft of lab and headhouse facilities that develop transformative solutions aimed at improving agricultural vitality, workflow, and efficiencies. The facility provides a platform for research in horticulture, crop science, and plant pathology, uniting these fields with advanced building systems and materials. Located at the Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory Complex, CEARC offers dynamic spaces for teaching, events, tours, and outreach, increasing the visibility of OSU's research in advanced food production. The outdoor space between the three structures is designed to create yet another ‘room' for events and education. The facility promotes hands-on learning and engagement, making it a premier hub for innovation in controlled environment agriculture.
The design of the Controlled Environment Agricultural Research Complex (CEARC) integrates both indoor and outdoor campus functions to advance food production studies. The facility features a headhouse for administrative, teaching, and lab functions, paired with two distinct greenhouses—one for large-scale production and the other for specialized research. The greenhouses are compartmentalized to accommodate diverse research needs, such as tall and short crops, aquaponics, small-scale production studies, and isolated biosafety-level research. Constructed with innovative envelope systems like ETFE transparent roofing in the Production Greenhouse, the greenhouses provide adaptable environments with advanced environmental control systems. Exposed piping, ductwork, and conduit throughout the complex highlight its functionality and enhance the educational experience, reinforcing the facility's commitment to innovation and hands-on learning. Plant research and education is elevated in this facility through transparencies into labs and the production greenhouse compartments that are served by generous corridors that allow for both an extensive potential for systems service as well as educational touring.
Landscaped basins define pedestrian paths leading to the building, manage the site stormwater, naturally filter fertigation wastewater, and recharge groundwater. The facility, the first of its kind in the United States, consists of a head house, a research greenhouse and a production greenhouse and will be a premier hub for research in the areas of horticulture and crop science, phenotyping, sensor research and engineering.
