As part of a multi-facility “Indy Campus Reimagined” initiative, Ivy Tech Community College (ITCC) is undertaking the renovation of the Illinois Fall Creek Center (IFC) to enhance its Nursing and Health Sciences programs. This project will repurpose existing classroom space, consolidating health sciences programs from the Fairbanks Lawrence campus and integrating state-of-the-art lab upgrades to better support modern student learning.

A key goal of this renovation is to centralize all student services on campus, creating a more intuitive and cohesive experience for students and staff. By consolidating services in one location, the design features clear wayfinding and establishes a primary entrance that enhances the facility’s arrival experience.

By creating a state-of-the-art space for Nursing and Health Sciences, ITCC is strengthening their connection to the local healthcare industry. Students will benefit from upgraded learning environments and proximity to clinical placements, internships, and workforce opportunities in the downtown area.

Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) has offered classes on the Lakeshore, spread out in four locations, for more than 20 years. With programs in disparate locations and in small, leased available spaces in buildings through the area, serving students and maintaining fiscal responsibility was a challenge on top of restricted growth.

The college purchased the former JCPenney in The Shops at Westshore Mall in the heart of Holland Township to become a consolidated GRCC Lakeshore Campus, committed to serving Lakeshore learners of all ages. One consolidated campus creates synergy and collaboration across programs that are physically co-located, and provides opportunities for operational efficiencies and partnerships with Grand Valley State University’s Meijer campus as well as other area colleges. The 52,000 square-foot campus facility gives GRCC flexibility to grow into the much-larger space and establishes a strong presence, truly embedding the college – and education – in a community.

As part of the district’s 2021 bond, a new culinary center addition replaced the high school’s 1970s style kitchen with a state-of-the-art facility.

New appliances and technology support innovative curriculum in the new instructional kitchen, which now provides students with on-campus access to technical programs that prepare students for real-world experiences after high school. An adjacent consumer-focused kitchen also teaches students important life skills. East Kentwood currently offers two levels of culinary arts classes: an introductory class for students to learn basic cooking techniques, measurements, nutrition, and safety; and another where students learn more advanced techniques and commercial-level cooking.

Holly Area School’s new 6,500-square-foot Construction Trades Center will house the district’s skilled trades programs. This state-of-the-art facility will provide students with the opportunity to earn valuable certifications while still in high school, paving the way for rewarding careers that do not require a four-year college degree.

Previously housed inside the high school, the program will now move to the new, pre-engineered facility designed to accommodate a larger scale of training. The flexible space can adapt to the evolving needs of various trades, like carpentry, plumbing, electrical, or masonry construction. Students will have the chance to earn OSHA certifications, equipping them with essential safety knowledge for the workforce.

Ivy Tech Community College offers multiple Industrial Technology programs, including a large welding program. The welding program offered at Ivy Tech’s East Chicago location recently underwent a renovation to create an inspiring and innovative environment that appeals to new and existing students, reflecting the energy of the program and the future of the industry. 

The existing building contained a north/south corridor which the design team reinforced by referring to it as a “main street” with several program “front porches” that would increase visibility of those respective programs and clarify wayfinding along the corridor. The project team purposely contemplated how the welding program entrance, or “front porch,” and virtual welding classrooms would set the precedent for the future program entry spaces to really highlight the programs and give a space for students to collaborate. A large driver for the welding renovation was to show that welding is a 22nd century skill that can be a high-tech, desirable career for young people. The entrance to the welding center is an approachable, open space that faces the lobby of the academic building and offers a place for informal gathering. There are glass walls creating visibility into the expanded welding space, showcasing more than 40 welding booths. The adjacent virtual welding classroom contains bays of virtual reality (VR) welding trainers, equipped with TV monitors on the wall, that mirror the small virtual display unit so instructors, peers from the class, and other visitors can see the technology in use.

With a high school building that felt outdated for 21st century learning, Greenville Public Schools had an opportunity to completely transform and upgrade their facility. By commissioning an aging building to improve energy efficiency, air quality, and building performance, the facility now has reduced maintenance, a longer lifespan, and spaces that are more comfortable learning environments for students.

Renovations in the high school include a complete transformation of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) offerings to support new and evolving programming in robotics, construction trades, machining and tools, CAD, and mechatronics. Science labs and classrooms were expanded and spatially reconfigured to support a modern curriculum, and the team created extended, flexible learning opportunities outside of classrooms that encourage collaborative learning. In addition to finish and furniture upgrades throughout the building, new classroom technology and controls and upgrades to the auditorium further enhance the learning environment.

In 2021, Ivy Tech Community College approved a 19th location for their nursing program at their Hamilton County campus. The new nursing program helps address the need for credentialed nurses in the area. Previously operated as a high school, the renovated space creates a prominent and accessible environment to foster the growth of Ivy Tech’s Nursing, CNA, and Medical Assisting programs and becomes a premier destination for future healthcare professionals.

GMB helped fast track the design and construction of the project to welcome the first cohort of students in January 2023. The design team worked closely with the college and contractor to find creative solutions and develop appropriate design alterations to accommodate the accelerated timeframe and supply chain shortages.  

Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana’s only full-fledged community college with more than 40 campus locations across the state. As the largest post-secondary public educational institution in Indiana, Ivy Tech is embracing its vision as an engine for economic transformation, preparing students for careers that will grow the future economy.

With nearly 700 manufacturing companies in Elkhart County alone and 1 in 3 jobs represented in the manufacturing sector, Ivy Tech’s South Bend – Elkhart campus is positioned to train the next generation workforce in manufacturing, industry, and automation. Increasing enrollment in the Advanced Manufacturing Degree (ADMF) program and demand for highly skilled employees with internationally recognized credentials in advanced automation, robotics, and manufacturing have propelled the urgent need for a facility like the new Larry & Judy Garatoni Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Automation.

Our main goal for the Advanced Manufacturing & Automation space is that it would be fluid and agile to allow for easy reconfiguration of new equipment as advancements in industry continue to evolve. Creating a bridge between Ivy Tech and surrounding industry by increasing the visibility of the campus – and more importantly the program – is vital to the success of the facility’s design. The building is located adjacent to the existing campus facility, so considering the presence of that structure while also creating an opportunity for the building to celebrate the college’s brand and identity to passersby is key.

Due to an expected increase in job postings and demand for Ivy Tech Community College’s Automotive Technology program, the college aspired to build a new Automotive Technology Training Center at their Indianapolis campus. The program enrolls nearly 300 students in the program and anticipates doubling enrollment with the opening of the new center.

Situated in the city’s International Marketplace District, the facility was made possible through a variety of automotive and community partners and serves as an exciting and inspiring place where students will be certified and trained for the high-wage, in-demand jobs in the automotive industry.

Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana’s only full-fledged community college with more than 40 campus locations across the state. As the largest post-secondary public educational institution in Indiana, Ivy Tech is embracing its vision as an engine for economic transformation, preparing students for careers that will grow the future economy.