Universal Technical Institute (UTI) is the leading provider of post-secondary education for students seeking careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians. With more than 160,000 graduates in its 47-year history, UTI offers undergraduate degree, diploma and certificate programs at 11 campuses across the United States, as well as manufacturer-specific training programs at dedicated training centers.
UTI came to Partners to help them meet their architectural goals for their new campus project. They were relocating their existing five building campus in Glendale Heights to a new, consolidated campus in Lisle. The new campus project consisted of the redevelopment of an existing twenty-acre site along with three new inter-connected buildings for approximately 1,500 students and 200 staff. The three new buildings, totaling approximately 187,000 SF were efficiently designed to locate lab spaces and Custom Training Group areas along a path that allows both current and potential students exposure to the various education components. In addition all labs and classrooms are thoughtfully located to maximize the amount of natural light into these spaces.
A critical portion of the design was the central lab space, “the high bay area” that anchors the three buildings and serves as a focal point for the campus, both internally and externally.
