Vernon Malone College & Career Academy
What was once an inactive industrial building has been reimagined as a vibrant center for learning, workforce training, and community investment, strengthening connections between education and opportunity.
LOCATION Raleigh, NC
COMPLETED 2014
SIZE 92,000 SF
PHOTOGRAPHER Jim Sink
AWARDS City of Raleigh | Learning by Design | Sir Walter Raleigh | Triangle CREW Awards | Triangle Business Journal
A Collaborative Vision
A vacant former Coca-Cola bottling plant stood as an underutilized landmark along a key South Raleigh corridor—occupying valuable urban real estate while contributing little to the life of the surrounding community. At the same time, many local high school students lacked access to educational pathways aligned with their interests, learning styles, and career aspirations. This project reimagines both challenges as a single opportunity, transforming a dormant industrial structure into a dynamic center for learning, workforce development, and community investment.
Born from a visionary partnership between the Wake County School Board, Wake County, and Wake Technical Community College, the project establishes an innovative educational model focused on expanding opportunities for students beyond the traditional high school experience. The curriculum is designed to close achievement gaps, provide alternative pathways to success, and connect students with advanced education, technical training, and meaningful career opportunities.
Design Details
The adaptive reuse of the existing facility reflects the program’s mission of transformation and renewal. By breathing new life into an overlooked building, the design creates a vibrant learning environment that celebrates possibility, resilience, and growth. Flexible instructional spaces support hands-on, career-focused education while fostering engagement, collaboration, and real-world skill development. The result is a forward-looking educational destination that equips students with marketable skills and clear pathways to future success.
More than a school, the project serves as a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization and economic mobility. By transforming a long-vacant industrial building into an active educational hub, the design reconnects the site to the community, generates new opportunities for students, and reinforces the corridor as a place of investment, innovation, and lifelong learning.
