For nearly two decades, students in Texas Tech’s Department of Landscape Architecture have filled the halls of a building originally designed for a very different purpose. The structure, known today as the CASNR Annex and once home to the university’s animal science program.
'The annex has been our cornerstone for years, and while leaving it feels like the end of an era, it marks an exciting new chapter for our faculty and students.'
Now, as the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources embarks on one of the most ambitious construction periods in its history, the department is preparing to say goodbye to the CASNR Annex.
During May, faculty, staff and students packed offices, labs, studios and classrooms and relocated to the second and third floors of Weeks Hall, a historic former residence hall at the corner of Broadway and University Avenue, and to Doak Hall (DoLA Fabrication Lab and DoLA Computer Lab). The move marks the beginning of a multi-stage transition prompted by the planned demolition of the CASNR Annex to make way for a new flagship academic facility for Davis College.
“The annex has been our cornerstone for years, and while leaving it feels like the end of an era, it marks an exciting new chapter for our faculty and students,” said Leehu Loon, professor and chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture.
Site preparation for the new Davis College building is scheduled to begin in fall 2026. The approximately 145,000-square-foot, $100 million-plus facility will replace both the current Wildlife & Fisheries building and the CASNR Annex. Demolition and site preparation are expected to begin in September, with the new agricultural academic hub tentatively scheduled to open in fall 2028.
For the Department of Landscape Architecture, the move to Weeks Hall is only an interim step.
To accommodate construction, the department’s graduate design studios, classrooms, labs (DoLA Fabrication Lab and DoLA Computer Lab), research labs, and administrative offices were relocated to long-term temporary spaces across campus, allowing instruction and research activities to continue uninterrupted. Ultimately, the department will have a footprint in the new Davis College building, as well as in the university’s planned Design Village, a major interdisciplinary complex also slated to break ground in 2026 on the site of the former library parking lot.
When completed, the Design Village will bring together several design-focused disciplines, including the Huckabee College of Architecture, the School of Art, the Department of Design and programs in civil, environmental and construction engineering. University leaders envision the complex as a collaborative environment where students and faculty from different fields can work alongside one another on projects that shape the built environment.
For many in Landscape Architecture, however, the departure carries particular significance because of the building being left behind.
The structure’s history stretches back to the earliest years of the university. The Department of Animal Husbandry - later renamed the Department of Animal & Food Sciences - was one of the three original academic departments established when Texas Technological College opened in 1923. As agricultural programs expanded, the university constructed the animal science building at the corner of 15th Street and Detroit Avenue.
For decades, the facility housed classrooms, laboratories, offices and research programs dedicated to livestock breeding, genetics and production. It stood alongside other iconic agricultural landmarks, including the Texas Tech Dairy Barn and the Agricultural Pavilion.
By the late 1990s, however, the building could no longer accommodate the technological demands of a rapidly evolving discipline. In 2001, the Texas Tech Board of Regents approved construction of a new centralized facility for animal and food sciences. Four years later, the department relocated to its current 53,000-square-foot building near the United Supermarkets Arena.
Rather than demolish the former animal science building, the university repurposed it.
Renamed the CASNR Annex, the structure became home to the Department of Landscape Architecture and provided small office and lab space for the Department of Natural Resources Management. Former laboratories and classrooms were transformed into design studios equipped with advanced computer modeling technologies, while preserving much of the building’s historic character.
Today, the Department of Landscape Architecture serves approximately 110 undergraduate and graduate students and is recognized as one of the region’s leading accredited programs. Housed within Davis College, the department offers Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (B.L.A.) and Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.) degree programs where they educate and inspire future landscape architects through a culture of excellence, creativity and collaboration.
The department prepares graduates to design meaningful, resilient, and sustainable environments that improve lives and advance the profession in West Texas and beyond.
As the department settles into its long-term temporary quarters this summer, faculty and staff members view the transition as part of a broader transformation reshaping both Davis College and the Texas Tech campus.
CONTACT: Leehu Loon, Professor and Chair, Department of Landscape Architecture, Texas Tech University at (806) 834-5215 or Leehu.Loon@ttu.edu
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