American Power Conversion Technology Learning Center

Award of Merit: Commercial

The American Power Conversion Technology Learning Center in St. Louis was developed to provide an environment for clients and guests to develop relationships.

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Visitors will experience APC’s capabilities from design and development to solution service using marketing, sales presentations and learning experiences.

The existing APC campus was originally developed to accommodate two 100,000-sq-ft, three-story offices buildings along the southern edge of the site for highway exposure. The East Building shares a common parking area with the new Technology Learning Center on the west.

The Technology Learning Center will be the centerpiece of the expanded campus and will occupy 100,000 sq ft on two levels within a high-tech enclosure of precast concrete, aluminum panel and glass.

The design is intended to reflect the image of the company—a provider of high-tech solutions.

Interior accents feature glass rails at the central atrium stair and balcony areas and full-height glass areas to highlight both exterior visibility and internal display and presentation areas.

The public areas incorporate wood panel and stone accents with specialty lighting and built-in audio-visual display areas. The atrium features a linear skylight to add natural light to the central gathering/activity area.

The atrium allows opportunities for both informal gatherings and audio-visual presentations. At each level guests will have access to seating areas and snack and beverage areas.

Adjacent to the executive briefing center on the first floor, a large landscaped exterior courtyard offers a spot to relax or serve as exterior activity space accentuated with decorative screen walls as well as landscape and lighting elements.

Heavy Electrical Needs

The building features electronic testing laboratories, classrooms, training areas, demonstration and display areas and executive briefing center.

The onsite testing facilities will enable customers to request and witness a variety of systems, lengthy tests and demonstrations of capabilities and solutions.

The building needed to be specialized, flexible and house six tenants, each with unique build-to-suit requirements.

APC and customer facilities nationwide and offshore were toured as the program requirements were development. Extensive systems and power requirements required an efficient layout and impacted the adjacent site development.

Jury Comments: “The design will help teams collaborate. The look is clean and sharp. It’s a nice overall business project.”