Northwest State Community College: Advanced Manufacturing Training Center

Northwest State Community College

PHOTOS © JLK PHOTOGRAPHY, LIBERTY CENTER, OHIO

The advanced Manufacturing Training Center at Northwest State Community College (NSCC) in Archbold, OH, was created in response to the demand for training new job candidates for several manufacturers in northwest Ohio, as well as retooling and teaching new career opportunities for area adults and students. This state-of-the-art training facility supports workforce training programs designed to meets the needs of the many businesses throughout the region that are looking for skilled employees. Programs include cybersecurity, HVAC-R climate control, industrial electrical, machining, millwright, truck driving, and welding, just to name a few.

The project consisted of the interior renovation and reconfiguration of 16,000 square feet of occupied space on two existing floors for the new Workforce Development program. A new 16,000-square-foot academic and engineering laboratory addition for the School of Engineering was also designed and connects to the existing building. Upgrades included new classrooms, department offices, conference rooms, student collaboration and lounge areas, computer laboratories, a plastics laboratory, and engineering and distance learning laboratories, as well as a large 10,000-square-foot workforce training and robotics laboratory.

The design incorporates finishes that are low-maintenance into high-tech learning environments that are flexible, welcoming, and user-friendly, all while meeting tomorrow’s industry standards and promoting recruiting and retaining. Flexibility of physical spaces and technology was of huge importance, allowing different programs to utilize the space using different settings and layouts. For example, in all of the labs, the utility connections are plug-and-play, allowing for easy reconfiguration. All can be reconfigured with the addition of new equipment by the college or if outside companies utilizing the space bring in their own equipment for training purposes.

SSOE Group’s design team was selected to assist NSCC with this project because of their ability and expertise performing all design services in-house—including architecture, interior design, structure, MEP, security, access control, fire protection, civil, landscaping, A/V, and technology/IT.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management October 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.

  • California Middle School Breaks Ground on Major Renovation Project

    The Hillsborough City School District (HCSD) in Hillsborough, Calif., recently began construction on new multipurpose and administration facilities for Crocker Middle School, according to a news release.

  • Esports are Growing in Popularity

    Video games and esports are a popular social hobby, and it’s one that’s accessible to a wide variety of physical ability levels. Some esport student-athletes have started to earn scholarship opportunities, and high schools are beginning to form teams equipped with the same degree of resources as their physical sports teams. However, the two have very different needs.

  • Construction Begins on 100+ Acre K–12 Campus Designed for Lakota Culture

    The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) and the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District in Eagle Butte, S.D., recently broke ground on a new K–12 campus that will cover more than 100 acres and serve students and families across 1,600 square miles, according to a news release.