The Challenge Program is a Wilmington, Delaware-based organization providing on-the-job construction training to young, at-risk adults. Their new headquarters, the Construction Training & Education Center, is a 5,000 SF, two-story building on the banks of the Christiana River in Wilmington.

Built for and by trainees, the design is realized through a simple, repetitive framework, allowing for ample opportunity to master construction fundamentals. Features include a dramatic saw-tooth roof, reclaimed wood as an inexpensive, exterior cladding, two green roofs, a geothermal heating and cooling system, and rainwater harvesting systems. Perpetually under construction while trainees practice their craft, the project will seek to become the first LEED Gold building in Delaware.

Location: Wilmington, DE
Architect: DIGSAU
Photography: Halkin | Mason Photography