A Research Campus Rooted in Landscape

The International Potato Centre (CIP) – South Asia Regional Centre in Agra, Uttar Pradesh has been envisioned as a landscape-embedded research campus where agriculture, science, and environment operate as a unified system. The project aims to support advanced research on potato, sweet potato, and tuber crops while strengthening food and nutrition security across South Asia. As part of the global CGIAR research network, the centre will serve as a critical hub connecting international scientific knowledge with regional agricultural practices.

Located near Keetham Lake within the Sur Sarovar ecological zone, the site is defined by a sensitive natural landscape influenced by the Yamuna river system and wetland ecosystems. This ecological context became the primary driver for the planning approach. Rather than imposing architecture on the site, the design strategy begins with the landscape—ensuring that research infrastructure coexists with biodiversity corridors, agricultural land, and the broader ecological system surrounding the campus.

The concept for the campus is guided by the idea of “Rooted in Land, Scaling Knowledge.” Laboratories, polyhouses, aeroponic facilities, and experimental fields are organized as an integrated research ecosystem. This allows scientific research, crop experimentation, and agricultural production to function together, creating a seamless continuum between laboratory innovation and real-world agricultural application.

The masterplan organizes the campus into a series of interconnected zones including advanced laboratories, controlled cultivation facilities such as greenhouses and polyhouses, open research farmland, cold storage and post-harvest infrastructure, and residential and social spaces for scientists and researchers. This integrated planning ensures that research processes—from genetic studies to field trials and crop processing—can occur within a single coordinated environment.

Architecturally, the project adopts a restrained and functional language that prioritizes clarity, adaptability, and climate responsiveness. The buildings are designed to support scientific operations efficiently while maintaining a strong visual and spatial relationship with the surrounding agricultural landscape. Rather than iconic form-making, the architecture focuses on creating a durable research infrastructure that will remain relevant as agricultural technologies evolve over time.

Through this project, ARCH-EN DESIGN has sought to create a research campus where architecture acts as an enabler of agricultural innovation. By integrating laboratories, farming systems, and ecological landscapes into a cohesive framework, the International Potato Centre in Agra represents a forward-looking model for scientific campuses addressing the future of food and sustainable agriculture.

Rooted in land, scaling knowledge — a research campus designed to connect science, agriculture, and landscape.

Annkit Kummar