Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University A land-grant institution
About Latham Hall
Latham Hall (the Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Laboratory) is located between Cheatham and Smyth halls. It replaces older campus facilities not suited for state-of-the-art research.
Approximately 75 percent of the five-floor, 85,000-square-foot facility provides laboratory space for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, including crop and soil environmental sciences; entomology; plant pathology, physiology and weed science; and horticulture. The College of Natural Resources utilizes approximately 25 percent for its departments of forestry and fisheries and wildlife sciences.
The first and second floors will house a number of controlled-environment chambers that will be used primarily for plant molecular and physiological studies. Faculty offices and research laboratories for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will be on the second, third, fourth, and fifth floors.
Some of the research planned for the new labs includes crop improvement through breeding and metabolic engineering, analysis of host-disease genetics to enhance crop quality and yield, control of insect vector diseases, and studies for improving soil fertility.
The building represents more 25 years of planning by the College – back to when the College of Natural Resources was the School of Forestry within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The Virginia Higher Education Bond Referendum passed in 2002 provided the funds for constructing this and other key buildings on campus.
Building Data
Total building area |
84,277 sq. ft. |
Total project budget |
$28.5 million |
Architect |
|
Contractor |
J. E. Jamerson & Sons, Inc. |
Building Start |
January 2003 |
Building Occupancy |
June 2006 |
Funding Sources
Building |
*Virginia Higher Education Bonds |
Research equipment and financial support for undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences |
$5 million Latham endowment |
*Latham Hall was 100% funded by Virginia Higher Education Bonds, which were supported by the citizens of Virginia when they overwhelmingly voted for the bond referendum.
Capacity (sq. ft.)
Research laboratory area |
31,811 |
Research laboratory service |
8,522 |
Office space |
5,033 |
Office service |
850 |
Conference room |
878 |
Lounge area |
287 |
Other Features
State-of-the-art growth chambers valued at $2 million
- A total of eight full-size growth chambers that are two stories tall (installation in late fall 2006)
- Enable researchers to conduct research on life-size trees.
- Six growth chambers are 16 feet long x 10 feet wide x 20 feet high.
- Two growth chambers are 22 feet long x 10 feet wide x 11 feet high.
- 24 reach-in growth chambers are 8 feet wide x 3 feet deep x 8 feet high.
Growth-chamber-support utilities
- Two cooling towers provide cooling water and electricity for growth chambers.
- The two cooling towers are located at the rear 2nd floor of the building, where a secondary back-up generator is also located.
Cold/freezer room located on the first floor is 16 feet long x 10 feet wide x 8.5 feet high
Two power back-up systems
- Primary back-up generator for life and safety functions in the building
- Secondary back-up power system to provide back-up power for researchers’ critical equipment