By Megan Word, Local Expert and Owner of Explore! Spanish Language Tutors
After living almost next-door to NC State for almost 15 years, I have witnessed the ‘city within a city’ of Centennial Campus grow, change, and fill with an exciting and motivating spirit. Venture to the center of innovation and intellectual growth in southwest Raleigh, North Carolina, where the thriving NC State Centennial Campus proudly stands.
The campus buzzes with the potential of discovery and progress – a spirit that promises to shape our state’s future for years to come.
Let’s take a look at what makes NC State’s Centennial Campus so special…
A Visionary Campus
NC State’s Centennial Campus, a 1,334-acre intellectual and creative powerhouse, is home to more than 75 research centers, labs, academic departments, and partner entities. Designed to blend research, education, and industry, it’s a masterfully-planned hub that extends the possibilities of what a campus can be.
Winding walkways intersect green spaces, modern architecture meets cutting-edge technology, and the boundaries between academia and industry blur.
Innovative Partnerships
Centennial Campus is renowned for its partnerships. More than 70 industry, government, and nonprofit partners work alongside the academic community here. Major players such as IBM, LexisNexis, and Eastman Chemical coexist harmoniously with thriving startups, all thriving in an environment of collaboration and intellectual cross-pollination.
The result? Groundbreaking discoveries, tech advancements, and products that make a real-world impact.
Recreational Haven
In the midst of this innovation and research, Centennial Campus caters to the nature lovers too. Lake Raleigh offers 75 acres of outdoor fun with opportunities for fishing, boating, and hiking. The popular Lake Raleigh Woods is a 96-acre forest, perfect for bird watching, picnicking, or just unwinding from the fast pace of city life.
And for golf enthusiasts, the Lonnie Poole Golf Course, an Arnold Palmer-designed gem, is sure to delight.
Lifelong Learning
Housed within the Centennial Campus, the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation is pioneering the future of education.
It’s a place where students, teachers, researchers, and policymakers converge to discuss, develop and implement innovative educational practices. And at the heart of the campus is the stunning James B. Hunt Jr. Library, a monument to knowledge with its high-tech book delivery system and inviting study spaces.
Latest News
Since it’s inception, the Centennial Campus has been an economic powerhouse for both N.C. State University and the city of Raleigh, thus allowing the university to greatly expand its engineering program and attract numerous technology companies to establish operations there.
In a bid to attract more private companies to N.C. State’s Centennial Campus, N.C. State has secured rezoning permission from the city, paving the way for the significant expansion of Centennial Campus, including the possibility of constructing buildings as high as 28 stories. The school is promoting this vision as its “Innovation District,” which will ultimately morph into a 30-acre dense, urban area featuring lab and office spaces, and potentially, residential options.
The first proposed lab building, offering 350,000 square feet of lab and research space, will be situated on the campus’ Block 07, located just north of the school’s new Plant Sciences Building. A parking deck is planned to be constructed on the adjacent Block 04.
While the office market has seen dramatic changes recently due to the rise of remote work, lab spaces have demonstrated more resilience as lab work generally necessitates in-person presence. The project’s construction timeline remains uncertain and awaits city approval.
Upcoming Events
If you’re visiting in the fall, don’t miss out on the annual Wolfpack Welcome Week, a tradition that unites the entire campus community. The celebration includes food, music, games, and a host of other activities that perfectly encapsulate the spirit of Centennial Campus.
So whether you’re an academic, a professional, a nature enthusiast, or simply a curious visitor, NC State’s Centennial Campus in Southwest Raleigh NC, has something to offer you. This isn’t just a campus; it’s a living, evolving testament to the power of unity in diversity. Come and discover it for yourself.
Like art? You’ll love our next point-of-interest in Southwest Raleigh NC…