Tennessee College of Applied Technology Livingston

Tinker Ma is currently engaged to provide architectural and interior design services for the new Diesel Technology and Lineman Training facility at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Livingston, TN. In conversations with administrators, the design team understands the importance of the new facility in increasing opportunities for technical education as well as providing greater comfort and functionality to their students.

The facilities will expand on existing programs, providing a physical hub for all educational activities and four large classrooms of instructional space. New road connections will bring access from the west end of campus to the new building and from Apple Drive to the South. Large pull-in and pull-through truck bays, outfitted with current industry-standard equipment and systems, will offer generous, luminous, and highly functional spaces to service the trucks. Shaded outdoor spaces will promote social gathering and provide a reprieve from class time in the fresh air. Easily maintained surfaces, careful material selection, and rigorous construction methodology will help ensure this building will function well for many years.

An energy-efficient design will yield significant cost savings over the life of the building. The building will consist of masonry cavity walls with brick veneer and will make use of many large windows and glass overhead doors to bring daylight into the instructional spaces. The white roof will reflect the heat of the summer sun, and a thoughtfully designed building envelope will keep the building warm in the colder months.

In the truck bays, high-volume fans will keep users comfortable in the heat, and radiant heaters will provide warmth in the cold without the higher energy or maintenance costs of forced-air systems. The LED lighting’s usage will be minimized through daylight and occupant sensors. The design team’s forward-thinking approach in pursuing geothermal and life cycle cost analysis will help ensure the institution’s continued service as an avenue for the region’s personal, vocational, and financial success for years to come.