The recent master plan update for Texas A&M's West Campus informed site placement and the design of the Plant Pathology and Microbiology Building. The relationship to campus amenities drove decisions, resulting in an "active contributor" to academic life. Lilia Gonzales and Chuck Mummert will illustrate how the campus master plan update and specific building design examples can enhance/repair existing context through a focus on community, modern learning spaces, and appropriate density.

They will discuss how the Plant Pathology and Microbiology Building location purposely places it in proximity to other academic-related buildings and programs, while collocating functions within the building that support interdisciplinary studies. Both the campus master plan and the Plant Pathology and Microbiology Building create a dialogue to establish/develop a broader campus community. This will encourage the sharing of resources and begins to rethink ways in which to create community across campus. The updated master plan creates a setting for the building to respond to, and thereby becomes a destination on campus.