Press contact: Lynn Whalen

SPRINGFIELD — The Kreher Agriculture Center, which opened last May on the Lincoln Land Community College campus, has been recognized with two national architectural design awards. 

The Center won grand prize in the 2021 Education Design Showcase sponsored by Spaces4Learning. 

And, Demonica Kemper Architects, LLC won a gold award for the Center in the Association of Licensed Architects 2021 Design Awards program.

As noted by Spaces4Learning, the Kreher Agriculture Center was designed to meet the educational needs of modern agriculture students and includes:

• Hands-on, modern equipment and virtual tools providing enhanced learning in practice and theory;
• Labs to train the next generation of agriculture professionals in sustainable, productive soil; management and crop production methods;
• Interactive classrooms for application-based curriculum that develops students’ problem-solving skills and knowledge retention;
• Study and gathering areas that allow students to work collaboratively on class projects, meet with prospective internship liaisons, and host outreach events to promote agriculture education.

The building is named in honor of the late farming couple Charles and Irene Kreher. In 2018, LLCC announced an $18 million gift from the Krehers dedicated to growing and enhancing the LLCC Agriculture program. 

LLCC offers an agriculture transfer degree program along with degrees/certificates in agribusiness management, precision agronomy/fertilizer and horticulture.