Beyond the Building: Designing High Performance Outdoor Learning
About
Workforce training relies on outdoor and hybrid learning environments to prepare students for real-world conditions in infrastructure, emergency response, and public safety. This session examines how facilities design extends beyond the building through two Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) projects: the TEEX Vocational Workforce Training Building at Texas A&M University-San Antonio and the TEEX Public Service Training Complex at the Texas A&M University RELLIS Campus. These projects demonstrate how training infrastructure, high-bay instructional space, and flexible site planning support certification programs for linemen, emergency responders, and others. Presenters will explore how safety, utilities, durability, and operation requirements shape outdoor training environments that perform year-round while adapting to evolving demands. Attendees will learn how integrated facilities improve instructional outcomes and long-term campus performance.
Learning Objectives
Credit Type
1 LU | HSW
Speakers
Michael Hayes, PE, Lt Col USAF (ret) | Moose Engineers
Stephen A. Fuchs, CEFP | Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX)
Annie Briscoe, PE | Kimley-Horn
Ashley Valka, CCM, LEED AP | Texas A&M University System
Date and Time
Wednesday, September 23 at 2:10 PM
- Describe infrastructure, safety, and operational requirements for outdoor workforce training.
- Identify strategies that integrate exterior training environments with indoor support spaces.
- Analyze how utilities, site systems, and durability requirements influence long term performance.
- Compare approaches across TEEX campuses to support workforce training and emergency-response needs.
Prerequisite Knowledge
None
HSW Justification
This session addresses Project Planning and Design through facilities that train emergency responders, linemen, and public safety professionals — occupations where inadequate preparation directly endangers lives. Architects must account for safety-critical infrastructure, site systems, and durability requirements that protect trainees. Poor planning, including insufficient utilities, inadequate drainage, or misaligned layouts, compromises training fidelity and user safety. From a welfare standpoint, these facilities expand access to workforce certification that supports public infrastructure and emergency readiness. The training students receive at these facilities enables them to support public safety and protect the general public’s welfare.
