BENTON HARBOR — The Hanson Technology Center on Lake Michigan College’s Benton Harbor campus has been awarded the Collegiate Citation, a higher-education design honor, in the 2019 American School & University Educational Interiors Showcase.

Educational Interiors Showcase praised The Hanson Technology Center for its “clean lines, good use of color, functionality, good use of natural lighting and a few bold spaces.”

“This project shows what a modern machine shop can look like,” judges Kyle Gorrell, Irene Monis, Stuart Pettitt and David Sanders said in their jury statement. “The open daylighted individual learning spaces are the heart of this building and definitely put students first.”

As part of the award, Lake Michigan College and The Hanson Technology Center are featured as the cover and inside the August edition of American School & University.

“The Hanson Technology Center at Lake Michigan College was built to define the future of advanced manufacturing education and skilled-trades training,” said LMC President Trevor Kubatzke. “That idea includes not only how a space functions but also how it inspires. We already see the impact it has had in our community and hope this recognition may inspire others as well.”

The Hanson Technology Center was designed by Progressive AE, of Grand Rapids, and completed in 2016. The 49,376-square-foot building was created to lead the way in advanced manufacturing education and skilled trades training, according to LMC officials.

It is home to a host of courses, including fabrication, welding, electronics and machine tool. It also houses one of the few large-scale interactive fabrication labs in the country, which provide digital fabrication tools for use.

The center was named for Merlin and Carolyn Hanson, major donors for the project.

A complete list of 2019 winners and designs selected for publication can be found at schooldesigns.com.