Teaching Lab & Automotive Facility

Universal Technical Institute

Pfluger collaborated with Universal Technical Institute and Casa Marco on a two-phase project. The first is a 20,000 SF Pre-Engineered Metal Building shell addition and the second is a 90,000 SF interior tenant finish out. These spaces have become UTI’s new Austin campus. UTI has 12 existing campuses across the US with two in Texas (Houston and Dallas).

The facility’s programming includes classrooms, automotive, diesel, and welding CTE labs that bring educational and trade job opportunities to the Austin market. This new facility prepares students as technician professionals requiring specialized abilities to diagnose, maintain and repair gas and diesel engines; mechanical and hydraulic equipment and electronic systems. Training environments meet UTI’s core educational model and are flexible enough to adapt to the continuously evolving automotive industry. Beyond the core training, these flexible spaces also accommodate the current needs of their supplemental manufacturer-specific training for brands like NASCAR, Ford, Mopar, Nissan, Toyota, Cummins, and Daimier.

I've been with Pfluger for nearly two decades, and in that time, I've found my passion in educational architecture. As managing principal of the Austin office, I get to guide projects from concept to completion, tackling challenges and building relationships along the way. Knowing that the spaces we create have a lasting impact is what drives me. I hope our buildings make students and educators stop, appreciate their surroundings, and feel a little happier and healthier. Outside of work, I love staying active—whether it's running, sailing, hiking, or even watercolor painting. It's my way of unwinding and keeping my creativity going. My sister and I are also working on a fun challenge: climbing the 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks. This summer we hit number 13!

Favorite movie? Hunt for the Wilderpeople

If you could spend a day in someone else's shoes, whose would they be and why? I'd be an astronaut—just for a day in space without the hassle of getting there and back!

What's one goal you want to achieve in the next 5 years? Spending all the time I can with my kids