Over the decades, the Price Technical Centers (PTCs) have been visited by tens of thousands of customers. In 2019, it was time to update Price Technical Center West (PTCW) in Casa Grande, AZ. We started our design work in 2019, taking inspiration from the product demonstrations and design aesthetics of Price Technical Center East (PTCE) in Suwanee, GA, and completed the renovation in early 2022.
| PTCW’s Systems Wall and Architectural Hallway with GRD wall |
The PTCW renovation had five primary goals that influenced the final design.
We knew going into the PTCW renovation project that several elements from the recently renovated PTCE would be replicated, including many of the product demonstrations, an entirely new separate entry lobby, finishes, signage and lighting. This consistency between PTCs ensures a similar customer experience at both facilities.
Over the past few years, we’ve evolved our training to incorporate more time in the actual product demonstration areas. PTCW integrates the training and product spaces by having two smoke demonstration rooms adjacent to the main Training Room, separated by full-height glass, essentially putting the products right in the classroom.
| Narayan Sridhar (right) uses theatrical smoke to demonstrate the effectiveness of displacement ventilation |
In addition, all product demonstration stations support PowerPoint presentations so that smaller groups can spend time in the product areas instead of the Training Room. We gave special attention to GRD by creating a showcase hallway with more than 70 products and options on display. All these updates make training as dynamic and fun as possible, providing the greatest chance for the knowledge to be transferred and retained.
Many of the displays demonstrate how multiple products are used together in the field. The Systems Wall, for instance, comprehensively teaches air distribution fundamentals, and the Healthcare Room combines various Critical Environments products into a single space. Even the PTCW Flow Visualization Room uses products and smoke demonstrations on multiple room surfaces so that visitors can experience overhead mixing, underfloor air and displacement ventilation in a single space. Training must show individual product capabilities as well as how products interact with each other in the real world.
| Ryan Johnson (left) explains the Systems Wall to Open House visitors, October 2022 |
Because being able to train and communicate remotely is becoming increasingly important, every product demonstration space in PTCW can be run remotely with two-way video capability so that our product experts can present to visitors from anywhere.
Finally, it was important to allow multiple groups to use PTCW without impacting each other. We often break larger training groups into several smaller ones to support more customized and interactive content. Therefore, effective acoustic and visual separation between spaces is critical. PTCW achieves a clean, open aesthetic along with adequate separation and visitor flow between training areas.
PTCW is our most interactive and holistic air distribution tech center to date. To schedule a tour, reach out to your local Price representative, and don’t forget to check out our upcoming training classes. We look forward to welcoming thousands of new visitors in the coming years to PTCW and continuing to advance the science of comfort.