Space & Rocket Center Educational and Training Center
Huntsville, Alabama

Located in close proximity to the main building of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, the 25,000 sf Education Training Facility for Joint Operations of NASA - Marshall Institute and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center is a result of collaboration between the two entities. This state of the art building, designed by Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood (formerly Goodrum Knowles), was programmed to provide professional development opportunities for primary and secondary science and math educators to help smoothly integrate science, math, and technology into their courses. Home to NASA’s Educator Resource Center, the training center accommodates assembly functions, a distance learning center and teleconferencing center, along with fully functional laboratories for hydroponics and robotics.

The facility also contains several meeting rooms, a 150-seat auditorium, dining area with catering kitchen, computer labs, and classrooms. THE USSRC master plan includes a future addition to this facility for dormitory housing. Sustainable design principles were a factor in determining the orientation of the facility and choice of building materials. The classrooms are located on the north side of the building where large windows provide natural light while limiting solar heat gain from direct sunlight. The west side of the facility features a large architectural stone wall with glass block penetrations to absorb and dissipate direct heat gain from the afternoon sun. Interior materials with recycled content or renewable considerations are incorporated in the design of the facility.