Wayne County Schools Area Technology Center
Monticello, KY
Completed, 2020
Photography by Frank Doring
Programming for Opportunity
Before design, a finding was performed to re-affirm the list of available programs based on regional occupational demand. The Wayne ATC provides education in Welding, Carpentry, Automotive Tech, Mechanical Tech, Agriculture, Information Technology, and Health Science to support the regional economy’s focus on manufacturing, agriculture and health care services. For some students, college is not a preferrable path; they prefer to learn and work hands on to build a career in the trades. This facility allows them to pursue those goals on equal standing with others while fortifying respect for types of learning.
Our team worked with Wayne County Schools to provide a new Area Technology Center (ATC) for their campus in Monticello, KY. Their existing building was too small, needed repairs, and the building was too far from the existing high school. Students could not quickly walk to the current facility and depended on a bussing system to shuttle students during passing periods.
The district wanted the new building adjacent to the existing high school so students could easily walk to classes and to create stronger connection between liberal arts and vocational curricula. The goal was to develop a stronger campus experience for students and faculty by exposing them to the full breadth of available learning opportunities. Architecturally, our team saw that desire for transparency as a theme. We leveraged glass to visually link programs within the building and this facility with the larger campus. Students and staff can see each other through the building as they all work on their skills. All of these activities are also visible from the road as younger students are bussed to and from school. It helps build excitement and anticipation for things to come.
