The development of the Master Plan for the South Farm was an exercise in spatial analysis and programmatic development at the landscape scale.  Previously, the process for relocating functions from the existing site to the new location was done on an ad hoc basis, with very little consideration for the impact on the entire site.  A landscape scale approach, however, provides an excellent opportunity to examine efficiencies of research functions, compatibility between functions, and innovative programmatic changes considering new directions in agricultural and environmental science.  

In the South Farm Master Plan, three different design alternatives were created with the intent to explore the advantages and disadvantages of each.  By presenting designs following research, agroecology, and human interaction frameworks, a dialog has been opened between different stakeholder groups including campus administrators, researchers, and community members. 

We expect South Farm Master Plan to be more than just an innovative design for a new research station.  The project has allowed a reinvention of the conceptualization of what a research station can be – beyond a land unit for conducting conventional research in agricultural sciences.  The process of creating the Master Plan has encouraged the consideration of multidisciplinary and landscape scale approaches to research and design, potentially increasing the value of the station to the University and the community.