A LEED Certified
ThinkBIG Dealer Services Technology Building
Portland Community College
Portland Community College partners with Northwest Caterpillar dealerships to offer the ThinkBig Dealer Services Technology program, a two-year associate degree program that prepares students to become qualified and experienced Caterpillar Service technicians. The new LEED Gold certified building doubles the space previously available for ThinkBIG on campus, allowing the college to improve the delivery and deepen the offerings of this specialized training program.
The pre-engineered metal building is home to several distinct spaces, including administration offices, classrooms, and a large equipment area. This portion of the building mimics current dealership facilities, simulating real on-the-job experiences for students. Our work on the Peterson Machinery Oregon Campus project informed our approach to managing the technical and specialty aspects of the building. The training space boasts three service bays, each with overhead bridge cranes and areas for parts maintenance. In addition to the engineering feats inherent in the project, we overcame several challenges, including successfully navigating program changes, a shifting schedule, and construction during the COVID pandemic.
COMPLETED
August 2022
SUSTAINABILITY
LEED Gold Certification
SERVICES
Design-Build, Construction
AWARDS
DJC Building Diversity Winner
TopProjects 2nd Place
PARTNERS
CIDA Architects
SIZE
15,950SF
LOCATION
Rock Creek Campus
Hillsboro, OR
“Students, faculty, business partners and the region’s workforce will be positively impacted by this marvelous new facility for many years to come…ThinkBIG is a stellar example of what community colleges and business partners, companies like Caterpillar, can do together.”
Dr. Adrien Bennings, President PCC
Site Development
New technology installed in the classrooms facilitates a modern learning experience.
Design & Engineering
To create a seamless transition for students into the workplace, the equipment area was designed and built to mimic actual dealership facilities.
Heavy Machinery Engineering
Our partner such and such helped engineer the 18 workstations, 3 bridge cranes, and 1 JIB crane, complete with a covered outdoor training area.
A Pathway to High Paying Jobs
The new space has greatly expanded and modernized technical learning access for students at PCC. The most major impact of this program is that the certified technicians graduate with an immediate pathway to high paying jobs with Caterpillar dealers and service centers. Taken together with the program being offered at a community college with low tuition rates, the value is clear. Trades, such as heavy equipment techs, have been in high demand so having a new space that can churn out more certified techs regularly will have an immediate impact to the surrounding community.
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