Texas State Technical College
- higher education, interiors
- Abilene, Texas
Project Scope
57,000 GSF
Construction Type
New
Project Delivery Method
Construction Manager at Risk
Project Components
Two computer labs and academic lab and support spaces for several Texas State Technical College programs, including industrial maintenance, welding, emergency medical services, commercial and industrial electrical, and power and transmission
In response to a regional economic and workforce analysis conducted in 2014, Texas State Technical College (TSTC) planned a new 52-acre campus on a greenfield site adjacent to Abilene Regional Airport. The first building on campus, the Industrial Technology Center (ITC), which provides student services space, lab and support space for the Industrial Maintenance Technology, Welding Technology, Emergency Medical Services, and Electrical Power and Controls Technology programs, opened to students in August 2018 and establishes the precedent for future development on TSTC’s newest campus.
Given a tight budget and TSTC’s aspirational dreams for the new facility, the design response yielded a simple geometric form, durable and economic material palette, and efficient space planning. The building, a long, metal-clad, wedge-shaped mass that lays low on a flat west Texas plain, is softened by landscaping utilizing local limestone and indigenous plants. A gently sloping roofline responds to programmed space that adjusts from high-volume labs to instructional spaces stacked over two stories, while paying homage to aircraft departing and arriving at the airport beyond. Horizontal ribbon windows cut into the monolithic metal form to provide daylighting into classrooms, labs, and offices, while larger expanses of glass signify entrances and student gathering areas.
Technology and training are the central focus in the ITC. Generous amounts of glass provide visibility from common spaces into teaching labs fitted with industry-specific equipment. The building itself is an educational tool with structure and systems exposed throughout. As a result of these design strategies, the ITC was completed under budget for $193 per square foot.
Key programs housed include industrial maintenance, welding, emergency medical services, commercial and industrial electrical, and power and transmission.
Services Provided
Campus master plan, building design
Awards
2020 Abilene Chapter of AIA Design Awards – Texas State Technical College Abilene Industrial Technology Center