Hutchison Institute of Technology, Renovation and Addition

Fairbanks, Alaska

Firm

USKH, Inc.

Client

University of Alaska Fairbanks; Fairbanks North Star Borough School District

Area

138,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$24,230,000

Completion Date

08/2004

The Hutchison Institute of Technology is home to Hutchison High School and the Tanana Valley Campus (TVC) Hutchison Center. Hutchison High was programmed and designed to provide a standalone career and technical high school. The TVC Hutchison Center provides a variety of certificate/associate degree programs.
Unique challenges of combining secondary and post-secondary education in this project included the differing vocabularies and needs of two institutions.
A core group of educators, administrators and designers worked closely to evolve the design and curricula concurrently, beginning at the conceptual level and continuing with regular meetings throughout the design process. These opportunities allowed the design team to focus on both programs so that a broader perspective was realized and reflected in the design.
The modernization and expansion required complete replacement of energy systems, seismic upgrades, code corrections, ADA accessibility and deferred-maintenance work, resulting in a near gutting of the facility.