Anderson Institute of Technology, Anderson School Districts 3,4,5

Awarded: Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) SC Chapter, Excellence Honor Award for New Construction, 2021

Partnership Between 3 Districts + a Community College
Driven by a shortage of qualified employees in the county, three school districts came together to create the Anderson Institute of Technology to offer a CATE-based curriculum. Capitalizing upon the adjacent Tri-County Technical College campus, the two schools allow students to gain reciprocal coursework at both locations.

Stakeholder Participation Identifies Training Needs
We worked with different community groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, Tri-County Tech, three school boards, and local industry leaders to develop the programmatic requirements. We used third-party data to pinpoint the needs of local employers and identify the most in-demand training elements. Housing twelve career clusters, the programs served by the facility include Health Science, Information Technology, Logistics, Auto Mechanics, Welding, Machine Tool, and Mechatronics, among others.

Design Elements for Interactive Learning
The building encircles a showroom space at the entrance of the building that will be used for robotics competitions, as well as displaying student work. A 320-seat multipurpose room hosts formal and informal gatherings. The facility houses classrooms, offices, $6.5M in equipment, labs and a 6,000 SF automotive bay. Students from four high schools will attend classes and labs at the center. The institute serves 1,400 students per day; 700 in the morning and 700 in the afternoon. At 118,851 SF, the project completed in July of 2019.