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ROTC Center for Excellence –

Joint Operations Approach Supported by Class Labs 2020

The ROTC Center for Excellence is a proof-of-concept study exploring how a joint-use facility could unite Army, Navy, and Air Force programs within a singular, flexible campus hub. Developed through case-study analysis, a program-wide student survey, group interviews, and stakeholder workshops, the project grounded high-level planning in the lived experiences of cadets, midshipmen, and instructors.

The design proposes a building that embodies the armed services’ joint-operational ethos while connecting academic, athletic, and off-campus resources at the lower campus edge. Indoor-outdoor learning environments expand classrooms and lecture halls into shaded courtyards and public plazas, reflecting the mind-body training integral to ROTC pedagogy and taking advantage of Mānoa’s climate.

As a conceptual platform, the Center for Excellence illustrates how shared space can foster collaboration, reduce duplication, and elevate the presence of military education on campus. Strategic adjacencies, open studio-like Class Labs, and landscape-integrated gathering areas promote visibility, camaraderie, and academic engagement—positioning the facility as both a home for the three branches and a connective asset for the broader university.

HIGHLIGHTS In the fall of 2021, the first cohort of U.S. Navy ROTC students joined the Army and Air Force to become a part of the University of Hawai‘i’s ROTC program. To accommodate this growing student population, the three branches and the University came together to study how a new joint facility could improve the educational experience of ROTC students.