Workforce Development / Training Centers

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SSOE was selected to design a new, state-of-the-art training center for the Electric Vehicle (EV) market. The center, a collaboration between Hyundai Motor Group (Hyundai), The Technical College System of Georgia (TSCG), and Georgia Quick Start, is located adjacent to the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) facility and is poised to train the next generation of EV experts and innovators. Helping to solidify Georgia’s position as a national leader in EV manufacturing, the facility will support Hyundai’s first dedicated Electric Vehicle mass-production plant in the U.S. and promote Hyundai’s vision of becoming a global smart mobility solution provider.

Quick Start, a division of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) is Georgia’s internationally acclaimed workforce training program. SSOE and its partners designed the innovative 90,000 SF training center to further Quick Start’s mission by providing spaces that are highly functional, adaptable, and supportive of a dynamic organization, built on 50 years of experience, with a nurturing team-oriented culture.

The training center will feature technologies such as CAD, BIM, and virtual reality as well as classrooms, technical labs, and high-bay spaces. The space will contain manufacturing-scale training simulations incorporating robotics, mechatronics, welding, motors, and other advanced manufacturing technologies to simulate the EV production environment and prepare the trainees for success.

SSOE applied its expertise and experience in the EV market to deliver a cost-effective, high-quality solution for the client. The building is anchored by respecting the site’s geometry and the HMGMA factory context. Transitioning between the landscape architecture and the building are two courtyards of two distinct characters. The north courtyard serves as the main entrance to the facility and is active, welcoming, and dynamic, with trellis and colonnades as contemporary interpretations of the Southeast Georgia coastal vernacular. The south courtyard is intended to provide a quieter area of respite where staff and trainees can recharge and prepare for the day’s assignments.

Project completion is slated for late 2025 and will support the creation of more than 8,000 jobs in the EV industry.

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Having extensive international manufacturing experience combined with nationwide higher education experience made SSOE the right choice for Owens Community College for the design of their new Dana Advanced Manufacturing Training Center. SSOE’s manufacturing facility design experts worked closely with our higher education team and the client to incorporate the latest manufacturing trends into Owen’s new real-world training center. We have worked on thousands of industrial projects and kept pace with this dynamic industry by working alongside experts in the field. The application of the knowledge we have gained resulted in the delivery of a teaching and training facility that truly reflects today’s manufacturing environments. Simulation of real-world working environments allows students to be prepared for success as they complete their courses and enter the workforce.

This project included the renovation of an existing high bay building into an advanced manufacturing education and workforce training facility. The facility includes seven classrooms for training and education, five computer labs, hydraulic / pneumatic lab, two mechanical labs, three electrical labs, a robotics lab, pipefitting lab, four building trade labs, group project space, storage for tools and supplies, and offices spaces. The training center houses approximately $3-$4 million worth of advanced manufacturing equipment. Also included in the project is site development to include 100-200 new parking spaces adjacent to the building. The building’s entire mechanical system was also evaluated and updated as needed to fit the project’s needs.

SSOE performed architecture, civil, structural, electrical, mechanical and plumbing engineering, fire protection, technology, communications, security design, interior design, and loose furnishings design.

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District’s Vision Comes To Life

The new 20,000 SF Training & Support Facility is designed based on the district’s following vision statement: “The Children First Professional Learning Center will provide an inviting, inspirational environment that promotes collaboration and fosters professional learning for district staff to increase student achievement and success.”

New Spaces

The facility will include multiple small, medium, and large conference / training rooms to accommodate up to 150 attendees in one space. The new addition will also include a large IT receiving space as well as offices for the Curriculum and Special Services Departments.

 

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New CATE Center Design

SSOE, in association with WBE-based firm, Red Iron Architects, worked with Jasper County School District on the design of the district’s new Career and Technical Education (CATE) Center. The center now serves the district’s new and existing high school students.

Introducing Students To New Trades & Workforce Development Skills

The CATE Center, which is connected to Ridgeland-Hardeeville High School, provides a unique program that introduces students to profitable trades and skills that can be used to enhance their future. The center accommodates programs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); health science; information technology (IT); and transportation, distribution, and logistics.

Building highlights include Health and Biomedical labs, STEM labs, flexible classrooms, computer, and logistics-focused classrooms, makerspace, state-of-the-art culinary program, and more. The building’s large central area is used as break-out space for the adjacent classrooms and laboratories, large project space, exhibition space, robotic competitions, and/or a meeting area for career fairs.

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New Regional Career Center in the Heart of Downtown North Charleston

SSOE, in association with Red Iron Architects, was selected by Charleston County School District to design their new 90,000 SF Center for Advanced Studies. The facility, located in the downtown area of North Charleston, South Carolina, is one of three regional career centers in the district. Students can now attend the center during the day to enhance their skills in the fields of architecture and construction, manufacturing, transportation, distribution and logistics, the arts, audiovisual technology and communications, health sciences, STEM, and information technology. The facility is designed to accommodate programs that align with immediate employment opportunities, the state’s technical school programs, and four-year university programs as well. Our team received a Building Design+Construction (BD+C) Building Team Award for our design of this unique interactive learning facility, receiving high marks for our community involvement and collaboration.

State-of-the-Art Research Labs, Studios, and Classrooms

The full architectural and engineering scope of services included planning and programming, assistance in the development of education specifications, spearheading community and local business / industry engagement, as well as architecture, interiors, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering. Specialized spaces include high-bay facilities for HVAC; automotive collision repair; mechatronics; electronics and building construction; and labs for biomedical engineering, cybersecurity, computer repair, and “Project Lead the Way.”

Additional spaces within this new building include state-of-the-art research labs / studios, a technology hub, flexible classrooms, an administrative suite, maker spaces, a large two-story exhibition space, 150-seat lecture hall, nursing suite, the district’s audiovisual department, career guidance area, cafe, and more.

The new Cooper River Center for Advanced Studies has a strong connection with the community, providing a space for local business and industry partners to not only teach but lead by example. SSOE worked with woman-owned business and Charleston-based architectural firm Red Iron Architects, civil engineering firm Hussey Gay Bell, and mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection firm Owens & Associates.

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Creating a facility poised from the start to attract talent and produce workers with relevant skillsets now and into the future is the goal of Henry Ford College (HFC) with their expanded Entrepreneur and Innovation Institute / Technology Building. HFC worked with SSOE to create spaces that fuel innovation and entrepreneurship. The Student Commons, a destination space, links the existing spaces to new. The inspiring design allows students informal areas for networking, collaborating, and impromptu learning. The renovation includes spaces for teaming, hands-on learning, and fostering the spirit of “out of the box thinking.”

The project includes the renovation of existing classrooms and lab spaces as well as the addition of 24,000 SF of new space in the Technology Building. Upgrades will include structure, envelope, interior finishes, HVAC, lighting, electrical, and plumbing. This project will allow for continued renovations initiated in 2015 and has a total estimated budget of $14.9 million.

HFC’s 24,000 SF addition will create multi-disciplinary labs, including a new Makerspace / Innovation Hub, automotive labs, as well as the Entrepreneurship and Business Skills Center needed to support changing programs and curricula, the regional demand for workforce training, and business and industry partnership initiatives.

This new construction will also improve building and program access and internal circulation, while addressing the lack of breakout / collaborative workspaces critical for student success. Lastly, the addition will house a new campus Energy Plant to support the college’s goal of a Net Zero campus. SSOE will work closely with HFC’s energy partners, Johnson Controls and Garforth International, to integrate the College’s $23.1 million Integrated Energy Master Plan (IEMP) into this project.

Several of the programs and physical spaces that will be positively impacted by this project include the Transportation / Automotive Technology Program, the HFC Fabrication Lab, Product Development Center (“Makerspace”), Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Business Skills Center, HFC Advanced Manufacturing Early College, and improved learning spaces in the Technology Building. These upgrades continue to reinforce HFC’s mission of transforming lives and building better futures by providing outstanding education.

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SSOE was selected to provide architectural and engineering design services for the new Michigan Statewide Carpenters and Millwrights Joint Apprenticeship and Training Center located in Detroit.

The new facility is used to provide instruction to Detroit area carpenter and millwright apprentices and journeymen, and is able to train 150 – 200 students at a time. The facility houses the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters offices and Local Union Representative offices. The project was completed in 2022.

The training center is a two-story building with steel frame and metal panel envelope for the training areas and showcases materials and finishes performed by the carpenters and millwrights in the main entry and public areas. This new 130,000 SF (approximately) facility consists of mixed use space including office and administration areas, a multi-purpose room for career and vendor fairs (7,000 SF), classrooms for instructional use, two high bay work areas for hands-on learning (50,000 SF and 10,000 SF), welding lab (with self-contained filtration / ventilation system), bridge crane, council area / offices, (approximately 14,000 SF), and building support areas.

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As a part of the agreement with Volkswagen, the State of Tennessee funded the $40 million dollar investment for the new Volkswagen Academy. The Academy sits on top of a hill, looking down at the actual plant, and is connected via an enclosed pedestrian bridge. The parking area at the Academy also serves as the main parking lot for the factory.

The Academy was designed to be a state-of-the-art training center for preparing workers for their jobs at the new factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Academy is operated in conjunction with Chattanooga State Technical Community College with the support of other local universities and educational facilities. Most of the Academy is surrounded by windows, allowing natural lighting throughout the structure, and included the use of daylight sensors to maintain appropriate lighting levels.

Volkswagen Academy is approximately 153,000 SF, which includes a lean manufacturing center, a manufacturing and automation center for basic and advanced training, and an automotive training area. The training simulates all aspects of the manufacturing process, but on a smaller scale to allow for hands-on training. The facility includes 19 classrooms, a cafeteria, a gift shop, a coffee shop, and a conference center.

The conference center houses a large, open auditorium area that can be viewed from not only the first floor, but also the office area above. This area has movable partitions to allow for individual conference rooms to be created. The conference center also includes a board room with adjacent meeting rooms.

The Academy achieved LEED® Platinum certification.

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SSOE served as the planning consultant to FGM Architects for Phases 1, 2, and 3 for this comprehensive transportation, distribution, and logistics center for a higher education facility. The project is part of the City Colleges of Chicago “College to Careers” initiative, which works to revolutionize city colleges to meet the demand of the high-growth sectors of the future. The facility will serve as the first comprehensive Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics (TDL) education in its area, preparing students for careers in ground, air, and rail transport, as well as multi-modal distribution and logistics.

The new center will feature a high-tech warehouse environment, laboratories, workshops, classrooms, and virtual reality simulation facilities and will replace nearly 112,000 SF of temporary classroom space. The building is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification upon completion for its sustainable features.

The project is being administered by the Capital Development Board and completed as funding becomes available. SSOE is serving as the planning consultant related to transportation maintenance shop areas and the equipment in the shop areas.

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SSOE worked with Youngstown State University for the creation of a living / learning R&D Excellence Training Center (ETC) that serves as an advanced manufacturing education, workforce training facility, and incubator factory. It houses a welding, machining CNC, automation and fluids training labs, high-bay workspace, metals and 3D printing, secure group project space, classrooms, and a workroom space. The ETC opened in Fall 2021 and houses approximately $5.5 million worth of advanced manufacturing equipment. The development of the ETC required the renovation of an existing building and addition to the facility on a downtown campus while maintaining project specific and ITAR security regulations.

SSOE worked with YSU faculty and staff, MVICC members, and Eastern Gateway Community College to develop detailed bid documents for repairs, renovation, and new construction. The project site is located both on the edge of YSU’s campus and in Youngstown’s downtown area. This location provides access to the varied groups that will utilize the facility including Youngstown’s downtown community. The building’s architecture takes inspiration from the existing urban context and neighboring campus buildings to create a common aesthetic statement. This project is also partially funded with an EDA Grant, for which SSOE provided the necessary documents. SSOE’s design also included provisions and concepts for future expansion(s) to the facility, as this is Phase I of a multi-Phase 100,000+ SF master plan created as part of the project’s planning and design.

Utilization of our significant manufacturing industry experience allowed our design team to lead the YSU design committee through the design process by helping them create a real-life simulated advanced manufacturing environment. We were able to utilize our knowledge of plant and process design and apply it into the manufacturing educational design, which will ultimately allow students to be completely prepared to enter real manufacturing environments upon program completion.

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