The Ruth and Steve West Workforce Development Center, on the Blount County campus of Pellissippi State Community College, houses programs from the community college and TCAT-Knoxville, including advanced manufacturing, engineering technology, computer science, cyber defense, robotics and culinary arts.
The building is flexible, accommodating academic and workforce development programs that evolve with changing technologies and workforce needs. The design responds to the campus’s existing traditional architecture with technical, modern spaces that reflect the curriculum. The building utilizes sustainable design elements like clerestory windows to maximize daylight and roofs designed for solar panels and rainwater collection to reduce utility costs.
Custom details punctuate the design, from the use of bold colors throughout the building for wayfinding and demarcation — blue and yellow for Pellissippi State spaces and red for TCAT-Knoxville spaces — to the welding-inspired symbols in the sunshades on the patio, which cast distinctive shadows over an outdoor dining and study area.
This project effectively balances simplicity with thoughtful design elements, creating an efficient, aesthetically pleasing, and functional space that celebrates education and innovation.
— 2023 AIA East Tennessee Jury
Completion Date: 2022
Type: New Construction
Location: Friendsville, Tennessee
Building Area: 52,937 SF
Services: Interior Design, Architecture
Use: Education
© 2025 BarberMcMurry Architects
