WJA Design Collaborative’s approach to design is especially suited to the technology-intensive program of the Training Center. The team focused engagement with the customer on coordinating floor plan and furniture layouts with server room and data outlet requirements. The training curriculum requires the use of three different secure data networks, as well as a non-secure network. A kick-off meeting and charrette, followed by a telecommunications and furnishings coordination meeting, were forums for the design team to listen to customer needs and deliver facilities customized for building’s data-intensive usage.
The Training Center program was focused on internal security and technology; however, the building formed an important component in the surrounding campus. Its main entrance was located along a pedestrian promenade, facing the entry of another training building built the following year. The two buildings together created a campus within a campus dedicated to similar training activities. A walled yard behind the building provided a secure location for portable buildings as may be needed to expand classroom or faculty space in the future.