RODE is working with Local Union 17 to enhance its existing sheet metal apprenticeship and training facility located in Dorchester. Our design revamps and adds to the existing space, equipping it for today’s pedagogical needs and allowing a more immersive experience for students as they complete their 5-year apprenticeship in sheet metal. 

The resulting multifaceted facility will include a new shop, assembly hall, classroom wing, cafeteria, and administrative offices. The exterior will don a new eye-catching façade and arrival plaza that reinforces the Union’s mission upon entering the building.

The project will be completed in two phases. Phase one will demolish the existing shop and create a new, two-story shop while keeping the existing facility intact and operational during construction. The new shop will provide four times the space for students to learn and apply their skills.

Phase two will add an assembly hall, cafeteria, and administrative offices to the campus. A new lobby will connect the existing facilities to the new shop, as students enter the building via a unique arrival plaza. The classroom wing will also be expanded, allowing for additional classrooms and a secondary access drive.