The new South Carolina Aeronautical Training Center at Trident Technical College provides highly specialized training for the future aeronautics workforce, along with continuing education for employees of aircraft manufacturers, suppliers, and vendors. This 161,000 SF facility occupies a 67-acre site on the school’s Enterprise Campus with each of its three floors serving a unique purpose.
The first floor is zoned into academic and hands-on avionics training, including aircraft assembly, mechatronics, and automation engineering. A 60,000 SF aircraft ramp, two massive high-bay hangars, and a full-scale barrel section from a Boeing 787 occupy the space. The second-floor houses 25 specialty labs and six flex-space labs for highly technical skills training in metrology, CNC machining, aeronautics, additive manufacturing, and nondestructive inspection and testing. This space is designed for both students and the industry workforce to develop the next level of skills for career advancement. The third floor includes dedicated space for Boeing and readySC training programs, including space to re-certify aircraft maintenance employees.
Inspired by the cutting-edge aeronautics field, the building’s overall design carries a sleek, contemporary, and streamlined aesthetic. Monochromatic neutrals in black, gray, and white are highlighted with accents of deep blues and vivid greens; floor patterns and light fixtures provide a sense of wayfinding through the Gallery space, like white trails in the sky from a jet engine; and ceilings sweep upward like an aerodynamic wing tip.