Advancing Agricultural Research

At Purdue University, the Ag Alumni Seed Phenotyping Facility supports cutting-edge research in plant science. As demand grew for more precise and controlled research environments, there was an opportunity to create a facility capable of advancing how plant phenotyping is conducted.

Standard Solutions Weren’t Enough

Traditional approaches to lab and research design could not meet the highly specialized requirements of controlled growth environments. Achieving consistent, replicable conditions for plant research, especially at the scale of full-sized crops, required a new level of precision, coordination, and innovation.

Designing for Precision and Discovery

Synthesis worked closely with equipment designers, manufacturers, and researchers to develop tailored, site-specific solutions. Through ongoing collaboration and detailed design coordination, the team addressed complex challenges related to constructability, life safety, and environmental control. The resulting facility, a precast-concrete-on-steel structure, provides highly uniform growth conditions and integrates advanced systems to support imaging, data collection, and experimentation. Designed to accommodate full-sized corn plants, the building enables a level of research control not achievable in field settings while supporting collaboration across disciplines.

A Platform for Innovation in Plant Science

The facility now serves as a hub for advanced agricultural research, supporting work in phenotyping, sensor development, data analysis, and more. By enabling precise experimentation and cross-disciplinary collaboration, it positions Purdue at the forefront of innovation in plant science and reinforces the role of design in advancing research outcomes.