MCTC Postsecondary Center For Excellence In Advanced Manufacturing

Morehead, Kentucky

Located in Eastern Kentucky, the new 88,000 SF Postsecondary Center For Excellence In Advanced Manufacturing incorporates a stand-alone Integrated Manufacturing Center (IMC) that is designed similarly to the studio/lab teaching model known as Technology Enabled Active Learning (TEAL). This model has been adopted within the higher education system and is found in renowned institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Recently, Omni Architects designed classrooms to accommodate this model at the New Science Building at Eastern Kentucky University.

Using this teaching model, the duration of each course is planned to incorporate hands-on learning, merging three distinct learning methods: lecture, teamwork, and tutorial experiences, which requires a very different space than community and technical college bays of the past.

The class begins with the instructor’s lesson material presented lecture-style, utilizing audio/visual materials on large format monitors and white boards. (What is happening on these devices can be captured as study material for later use.) The second part of the class is centered on small group collaborative exercises and the use of trainers and simulators. The third part of each class allows the instructor to provide one-on-one feedback on the lesson content.

Because most of the coursework is available in advance, much of the material is familiar to students when they enter the classroom. Time is structured to allow students to return to the trainers to complete individual course assignments to demonstrate proficiency. At MCTC, this approach has resulted in specialized classrooms with adjacent faculty offices and support spaces.

The Advanced Manufacturing courses in this facility include robotics, virtual welding, electricity, mechanical drives, PLCs, fluid power, industrial maintenance, virtual welding, and machine tool. A leased facility located adjacent to this structure will house high-bay diesel, welding, and automotive programs.

POSTSECONDARY CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING | SECOND FLOOR PLAN

IMC/Shared tools Trainers Office

The specialized learning environments at the MCTC Postsecondary Center for Excellence are designed to respond to teaching methods, team-building, and Kentucky’s knowledgebased economy. The new facility includes high-bay spaces for the instruction of robotics, machine tooling, fluid power, basic electric, and programmable logic controllers, along with traditional academic classrooms and science labs. Students will also enjoy onsite amenities such as food service, a student lounge, a bookstore, Workforce Development services, and a robust IT infrastructure.

A central atrium (above) simplifies wayfinding and identifies the advanced manufacturing center as a distinct element of the overall facility. Amenities (right) include dining and informal areas to accommodate the needs of staff and commuter students, promoting opportunities for overlapping activities, individual and group study, and on-campus interaction between classes.