In a new high-tech building taking shape on the Air Force Academy campus, cadets will someday learn to jam communications signals, test small quadcopter drones and attack and defend critical infrastructure, such as electrical grids.

The $58 million Madera Cyber Innovation Center will provide a home for the Department of Computer and Cyber Sciences and space for students to help solve real world problems the Air Force is facing, said Col. Judson Dressler, head of the department. The students will also have the opportunity to work on real world missions in a secure portion of the building. 

“The nexus of cyber and artificial intelligence is really being integrated into war and future conflicts, so it becomes more and more imperative the cadets are getting that education and training … in order to make sure we are prepared and ready to go for that next fight,” Dressler said. 

A rendering of the Madera Cyber Innovation Center that is expected to open in 2024 on the Air Force Academy campus.

Courtesy rendering

The academy’s current research facility for projects in cyber and artificial intelligence is housed in one room, so the new building with 48,000 square feet and seven labs will be a significant upgrade and has generated more interest among younger students who could use the building, he said. The facility will also allow easier access for industry and academic partners to visit and work with students on projects because it will be outside the secure area of the campus. 

The building was slated to open in 2023, and now it is expected to be ready for students starting in the fall 2024 semester, said Carlos Cruz-Gonzalez, director of logistics, engineering and force protection. The construction contractor, Bryan Construction, was delayed by a number of factors including major design changes to the building, unforeseen utilities on the site and pauses in work to accommodate parades and other events on a neighboring field. It is about a third complete, he said. 

Crews on Wednesday were busy working on the steel bones of the three-story structure that will eventually blend into the midcentury-modern architecture on campus featuring largely glass on the exterior. The interior will also be largely glass to give it an open feel, said Brett Kmetz, Bryan construction project manager. The building’s design took about 18 months, compared to a typical timeline of six to eight months, and small changes are happening even now. 

“We are still tweaking and evolving the design,” he said. 

Workers weld steel beams at the Madera Cyber Innovation Center at the Air Force Academy on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. The three and one-half story building is about one-third finished. On completion, the facility will house auditoriums, classrooms and collaboration space for the Department of Computer and Cyber Sciences.

For example, the crew added a suspended spiral staircase that will span the three floors of the building and feature a glass handrail. It was inspired in part by the staircase in the McDermott Library, but it will be more oblong and sculptural, he said.  

The Army and the Navy’s academies have similar facilities, but this one is meant to facilitate collaboration with experts in industry, Dressler said. For example, while cadets are working on real Air Force problems during their senior years, industry experts will be able to easily meet with them and teach them how to incorporate best practices, he said. The building will have office space for experts in industry and academia to help with that collaboration. 

Each year, about 1,400 students will attend class in the building, according to a news release. 

“We are teaching them to be forward thinking leaders,” Dressler said. 

This story has been updated to correct the square footage of the building. 

Workers weld steel beams at the Madera Cyber Innovation Center at the Air Force Academy on Wednesday. The 3 1/2-story building is about one-third finished. On completion, the facility will house auditoriums, classrooms and collaboration space for the Department of Computer and Cybersciences.

Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette

A rendering of the Madera Cyber Innovation Center. The center will be about 48,000 square feet and seven labs for students.

Courtesy rendering