Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering Opens New Campus with Start of 2022-2023 School Year
September 7, 2022
As school resumed last month, Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE) students celebrated not only a new year and starting in new grades—they also began the school year at a new campus. The residential school, located on Wynn Road in Huntsville, includes 76,500 sq ft of academic space and 51,400 sq ft of residences. Brasfield & Gorrie was the general contractor. Fuqua & Partners Architects served as architect of record in collaboration with Perkins&Will, which was the design architect.
“We are humbled by the incredible momentum that continues to propel ASCTE forward as a national leader, preparing high school students with relevant knowledge that will reinforce our position in defense, security and intelligence across all industries,” said Alicia Ryan, president of the ASCTE Foundation Board and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees. “The opening of our new campus in Cummings Research Park is a multi-year collaborative effort between commercial, private, governmental, academic, and nonprofit organizations. As our students walk through this state-of-the-art facility, we are optimistic that they will drive the innovation we so desperately need for a prosperous tomorrow.”
The academic building is three stories clad in glass and terracotta over a steel structure. In addition to classrooms, the facility includes science labs, machine shops, a fabrication and engineering lab, and a cyber range, which is a virtual environment where students can learn how to detect and mitigate cyber-attacks in a controlled environment. The similarly designed residence hall consists of three floors of dormitory rooms on top of a podium housing support space, which includes a basement-level cafeteria and fitness facilities that double as a storm shelter. The academic building was designed to host 400 students for classes, and the residence hall can house 150 students from across the state. The residence hall also includes three multi-bedroom apartments, equipped with kitchens and laundry, so full-time faculty and their families can live among the students as residence assistants.
“At Brasfield & Gorrie, we’re passionate about building strong communities, and we’re grateful that we can use our experience in building educational and science and technology facilities to enhance the experience for ASCTE students,” said Operations Manager Sara Beth Wilcox. “The school directly benefits not only Huntsville but Alabama as a whole as it educates the engineering and cyber technology experts of tomorrow.”
Brasfield & Gorrie has worked in the Huntsville market for more than 40 years and established a local office in 2012. The company’s work in North Alabama spans a variety of market sectors, including commercial, aerospace, government, healthcare, industrial, and mission critical. Notable projects include NASA Test Stands, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Bryant Bank, Crestwood Medical Center’s renovation work for repeat client Community Health Systems, and ADTRAN Tenant Improvement renovations. The company also offers expertise in science and technology construction, having completed more than $668 million projects accounting for 3.8 million sq ft in this market sector.
ASCTE will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 23 at 9:45 a.m. with special remarks from Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey.
