When the American College of the Building Arts opened in 2005, it embodied a novel idea: let students earn a four-year bachelor of applied science degree with an emphasis in architectural carpentry, plaster, masonry, timber framing, architectural stone, or forged architectural iron. And it had to carve out campuses where it could, including within the Old City Jail and a James Island warehouse.
But today, the thriving college is 61 students strong, and this fall it combined its instruction space into one newly renovated facility, the historic trolley barn on Meeting Street. Built in 1897, the structure had been vacant for 30 years when the school acquired it through a deal with the city and developer Parallel Capital.
”This campus is a state-of-the-art facility designed to offer our students the best possible education,” says the college’s president, Retired Lt. Gen. Colby Broadwater. Tour its classrooms, work areas, science lab, gorgeous library, and more during a grand opening event on October 20. (Find details at americancollegeofthebuildingarts.com.)
