Jefferson Community & Technical College
Louisville, Kentucky
Located on JCTC’s downtown Louisville (SoBro) campus, the program for the Advanced Manufacturing & Information Technology Center (AMITC) required a design approach that balances the functionality of the analog and digital tooling-lab training areas, with the more traditional collegiate spaces that reinforce student success and foster affordable opportunities for a diverse range of disadvantaged, traditional, and non-traditional students.
The building was conceived to meet the regional manufacturing industry’s growing demand for skilled, work-ready employees. The design team worked with regional manufacturing partners and AMITC faculty to design a technology-rich environment for this new tech-ed building typology. The open plant floor model simulates a real-world manufacturing setting in lieu of traditional dedicated, enclosed silos, and optimizes the ability to reconfigure the space as programs evolve. Large expanses of glazing face the downtown area and provide daylighting deep into the interior while showcasing the technology housed within to the community.
The new AMIT features training spaces for industrial maintenance, engineering and electronics, computerized machining and manufacturing, industrial maintenance technology, and welding technology. Area high school students can use the building to obtain dual credit, while those already in the workforce, including incumbent workers, can receive specialized training to meet the short-term training needs of local businesses and industries. In addition to the manufacturing training labs, the building features general education classrooms, a Technology Enabled Active Learning (TEAL) classroom, computer labs, administrative offices, conference rooms, a student commons, and a vending/collaboration zone.
The scope of work also included an expansion of the Automotive Technology program in Building B at the existing Technical Campus.
AIA KY Honor Award for Design Excellence, 2023