Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, now Franklin Cummings Tech (FCT), is a private non-profit college offering affordable technical education to a primarily BIPOC and mostly first-generation college student body.
FCT partnered with Studio G Architects’ team to design a new campus on Harrison Ave in Roxbury’s Nubian Square, a site chosen for the easy access and range of resources offered for students and faculty, as well as
FCT’s ability to play a pivotal role in reactivating Nubian Square after six decades of divestment.
 

The new three-story, 68,000 SF building will support 8 academic departments, including electrical engineering, opticianry and HVAC with technical labs designed for each program’s specific needs. They share
technology-rich classrooms, conference, meeting, and huddle rooms, a central student lounge and multiple study spaces. The glazed corner at Harrison Ave and Eustis Street puts the Engineering Technology Robotics Lab
on display to inspire potential students. The Automotive Department has a live garage where students repair cars for the public and labs for hybrid and driverless cars. The rear driveway for access to the automotive labs
is transformed into a social space with a sitting wall, pergola, and outdoor furnishings.
 

Focused on training students for green economy jobs in wind and solar power, FCT aspired to create a deeply sustainable building that is a teaching tool for students and a public expression of its educational mission.
Students in HVAC, electrical engineering, and renewable energy labs will utilize two rooftop learning labs that support hands-on learning on rooftop HVAC equipment, PV panels, and a wind tunnel, adjacent to
the building’s own systems. All students and faculty will enjoy the rooftop gathering space connected to the third-floor lounge by an open skylit stair.