Nord Advanced Technologies Center

Lorain County Community College

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CLIENT GOALS

LCCC desired to renovate the Nord Advanced Technology Center to provide facilities in alignment with the ever-changing prototyping methods, manufacturing adaptations and workforce development requirements, and to maintain their ranking with MIT as “FAB LAB Center of Excellence”. As a results of this renovation, MIT recognized the enhanced Fab Lab as North America's first "Super Fab Lab". As one of the fastest growing community colleges in the nation LCCC’s facilities must meet the needs of a variety of students including; college preparatory, adult learning and workforce development. The overarching goal was to expand the college’s capacity to meet the needs of its students and manufacturing and business partners.

SOLUTIONS

The renovations enhance LCCC’s Engineering degree programs and instruction while providing support for industry training of additive manufacturing. Renovations to the 27,000 GSF Nord ATC building and a 5,000 GSF addition on the west end of the existing Computer Integrated Manufacturing Lab (CIM) in the Nord ATC, provides a new campus entry point. This results in bringing students, faculty and guests past the technology on exhibit within the CIM, Fab and Automation Labs, showcasing manufacturing processes.

The CIM lab was redesigned to create a flexible working space in the existing area by moving some processes into a separate lab, addressing the safety and environmental issues within the lab. This allows the CIM/multi-purpose lab to be used for the unique instructional activities of the various degree programs.

The existing Fab Lab was relocated to increase its size and provides optimum visibility from the new entrance way. The Automation/Programmable Logic lab was relocated to the addition to maximize its connection to the CIM and Fab Labs, promoting a synergistic utilization of the labs for manufacturing process instruction and creating an advanced digital manufacturing space.

The facility expansion links the Nord ATC building to the PC Campana Center for Ideation and Invention. These labs serve as recruitment and retention tools for faculty, staff and community participation.

RESULTS

“The WMF team skillfully developed design solutions that achieved and enhanced the College's goals creating a state-of-the-art, flexible environment to showcase the advanced technology based curriculum. Simultaneously, this environment also serves to partner with regional manufacturers, encouraging advance research and design and initiate workforce development. A critical success factor was WMF's ability to manage the design process that included a large owner stakeholder group while circumnavigating the advanced technology equipment changes affecting curriculum offerings in support of industry workforce demand. The faculty and administration of LCCC could not be more pleased with the outcome of the design. The quality and character of the advanced technology addition has earned the College numerous compliments from key manufacturing partners and regional business leaders, which is favorably impacting our ability to recruit students and industry partners.”

Kelly Zelesnik
Academic Dean, Engineering, Business & Information Technologies and NORD Advanced Technologies Center, Chair Emerita, United States Fab Lab Network

Lorain County Community College