Walk onto the California Polytechnic State University campus in San Luis Obispo, and you’ll see it. It isn’t the flashiest structure. It doesn’t have the glass-and-steel sheen of the newer research labs or the trendy aesthetic of the Baker Center. But Cal Poly Building 10, formally known as the Alan A. Erhart Agriculture Building, is arguably the most functional piece of real estate on the entire 9,000-acre property. It’s a workhorse.
Honestly, if you've ever spent more than twenty minutes wandering near the University Union, you’ve probably walked through its corridors without even realizing it. Most students just call it "Building 10." It’s basically the epicenter of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES).
It feels like a maze sometimes. You enter on one floor, walk a straight line, and suddenly find yourself on a different level because of how the SLO hillside slopes. It’s classic Cal Poly. It’s also where the "Learn by Doing" philosophy gets its hands dirty, literally and figuratively.
What is the Alan A. Erhart Agriculture Building anyway?
The building is named after Alan A. Erhart, a former state senator who was a massive advocate for the central coast and vocational education. He wasn't just some politician; he was the guy pushing for the funding that helped Cal Poly transform from a small vocational school into a powerhouse polytechnic university.
Building 10 houses a staggering variety of departments. You’ve got Agricultural Education and Communication, Animal Science, and Horticulture and Crop Science all rubbing shoulders here. It’s not just offices. We’re talking about specialized labs that handle everything from soil science to floral design.
One of the coolest—and most overlooked—parts of Cal Poly Building 10 is the sheer volume of student-run operations that start here. It’s the nerve center for the various "Enterprise" projects. These aren't just homework assignments. Students are managing real budgets and real products. If you’ve ever bought Cal Poly eggs, cheese, or plants, the administrative soul of those projects likely lives in these halls.
The architecture is mid-century functional. It was built during a period where utility was king. You see it in the wide hallways designed to handle the rush of thousands of students between class periods. It’s built to last. It’s built to work.
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The weird layout of Cal Poly Building 10 explained
Let’s talk about the "Cal Poly walk." Because the campus is built on a series of foothills, the floor numbering in Building 10 can be a total nightmare for freshmen. You might enter the building from the Mustang Way side and think you're on the first floor. Wrong. You’re on the second. Or maybe the third.
It’s one of those buildings where the basement doesn't always feel like a basement. It has this split-level personality that reflects the topography of San Luis Obispo itself.
- The first floor is often where the heavy lifting happens—think labs and equipment storage.
- The upper floors transition into more traditional lecture halls and faculty offices.
- The "B" wing and the main structure connect in ways that still confuse seniors during finals week.
Actually, the courtyard area near Building 10 is one of the best spots on campus to just sit and exist. It’s tucked away enough to avoid the madness of the UU, but central enough that you can get to the library in three minutes.
Why this building matters for the "Learn by Doing" mantra
You can't talk about Cal Poly Building 10 without talking about the CAFES mission. This isn't just a place where you sit and listen to a slide deck about nitrogen cycles. It's the hub for the Ag Education program, which is one of the most respected in the United States.
The faculty here aren't just academics. Most of them have years of industry experience in the Central Valley or the Salinas Valley. When they’re teaching in those classrooms, they’re bringing in real-world data from the Cal Poly farm units that surround the campus core.
There’s a specific smell to Building 10. It’s not a bad smell—it’s the scent of coffee, old paper, and occasionally, a hint of the outdoors that students track in from the fields. It feels lived-in. In a world of sterile, high-tech campuses, Building 10 feels like a place where things are actually made.
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The Floral Design Lab and specialized spaces
Tucked inside, you’ll find the floral design lab. It sounds quaint until you realize these students are basically running a high-end florist shop out of a university building. They handle massive events and weddings.
Then there are the computer labs tailored for Ag Business. They aren't just running Excel; they’re using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and specialized commodities trading software. It’s high-stakes stuff. People think agriculture is just tractors and dirt, but Building 10 proves it’s actually data science and global logistics.
Common misconceptions about Building 10
A lot of people think Building 10 is only for Ag students. That’s a total myth. Because Cal Poly is so densely packed, GE (General Education) classes are scattered everywhere. You could be a Computer Science major or a Philosophy minor and still find yourself taking a 7:00 PM lecture in one of the large halls here.
Another misconception is that the building is "outdated." While it doesn't have the "new car smell" of the Frost Center, the interior labs have seen constant rolling renovations. The university has poured millions into ensuring the tech inside the walls keeps up with the industry. The plumbing might be old, but the fiber-optic cables are fast.
Navigating the bureaucracy
If you’re a student, Building 10 is also where you go to get your life together. Many of the CAFES advising offices are located here. If you need to change your major, find an internship on a vineyard, or figure out why your "Dairy Science" credit didn't transfer, you’re heading to Building 10.
The staff there are notoriously helpful, though they’ve seen it all. They deal with thousands of students who are trying to balance a full course load with the literal 4:00 AM milking shifts at the dairy units.
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Visiting Cal Poly Building 10: What you need to know
If you’re a prospective student or a parent, don’t just look at the building from the outside. Walk in. Check out the bulletin boards. They are a chaotic, wonderful mess of job postings, club invites (like the Rodeo Club or the Young Farmers), and research opportunities. It gives you a much better pulse of what Cal Poly is actually like than any official tour guide script ever could.
- Parking: Don't even try to park right next to it unless you have a staff permit. Use the Grand Avenue structure and enjoy the walk.
- Coffee: You’re close to Julian’s in the library or the UU, but Building 10 often has its own internal vibe—sometimes clubs host pop-up fundraisers nearby.
- Study Spots: The higher floors have some quiet nooks with windows that look out toward Bishop Peak. If the library is packed during dead week, this is your secret weapon.
Future proofing the heart of CAFES
There are always rumors about "The Master Plan." Cal Poly is constantly evolving, and there’s always talk about which buildings will be replaced next. But Building 10 is so foundational to the campus grid that it’s likely to remain a fixture for decades.
The focus now is on sustainability. How do you take a mid-century building and make it carbon neutral? How do you upgrade the HVAC systems without disrupting the research labs? These are the questions the university is tackling right now.
Building 10 represents the bridge between the old-school ranching roots of San Luis Obispo and the high-tech future of food security. It’s a messy, busy, vital place. It isn't perfect, but it's exactly what a polytechnic building should be.
Actionable insights for students and visitors
If you find yourself heading to Cal Poly Building 10, do these three things to make your life easier:
- Download the digital campus map immediately. The "first floor" isn't always where you think it is, and the room numbering system follows an internal logic that requires a bit of a learning curve.
- Check the department bulletin boards on the second floor. This is where the "hidden" internships and student assistant jobs are posted before they ever hit the internet.
- Use the outdoor seating. The breezeways and courtyards around the building offer some of the best microclimates on campus—usually shielded from the wind but catching plenty of that SLO sun.
Building 10 isn't just a collection of classrooms. It’s the physical manifestation of a university that started as a vocational school for farmers and grew into a world-class institution. Whether you're there for a soil science lab or just a random GE lecture, you're standing in the spot that keeps the university's original mission alive.