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Architecture
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| # 264 |
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| Completion |
3 / 2025 |
| Specific Use of Building |
College Technical Education |
| Project Location |
San Bernardino, California |
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The San Bernardino Valley College Technical Education Center reimagines career and technical education as a transparent, collaborative, and performance-driven learning environment. Here, architecture, pedagogy, and sustainability are inseparable. Conceived as a “Living Lab,” the approximately 102,000 GSF facility replaces the traditional siloed model of technical education. The connected framework of shared labs, flexible learning environments, and visible building systems foster interdisciplinary exchange and hands-on discovery.
The building supports programs such as electric vehicle and hybrid automotive technology, electricity and electronics, HVAC&R, machining, industrial automation, and water technology. The environment enhances hands-on learning, collaboration, and industry preparedness. Extensive glazing, open circulation, and operable boundaries between labs, exhibit spaces, and collaboration zones create visual connections that promote transparency and engagement. These features immerse students in experimentation and innovation, fostering creative problem-solving skills. Circulation becomes a space for learning and engagement, demonstrating the interconnected nature of industries and preparing students for real-world teamwork.
Architectural expression emerges from performance and educational purpose, resulting in a building that enhances comfort, learning, and engagement. Sustainability strategies are integrated into the building's form, sections, and materials, fostering energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact. Thermal chimneys, daylight-filled interiors, exterior shading, and photovoltaic canopies not only shape environmental performance and spatial experience but also reduce energy use and improve occupant well-being. Exposed building systems and real-time dashboards provide students with hands-on opportunities to understand building performance, making the structure an interactive teaching tool.
As the district’s Net Zero pilot project, the building provides clear operational benefits, including energy cost savings and reduced environmental impact, by performing about 31% below California Title 24 standards. The photovoltaic systems generate approximately 70% of the facility's energy, supporting LEED Platinum certification and setting a precedent for future sustainable campuses within the California Community College system.
Beyond performance metrics, the project strengthens the cultural and civic identity of applied technology education with spaces that encourage industry partnerships, demonstrations, recruiting events, and community engagement. Flexible gathering spaces, exterior plazas, and indoor-outdoor learning environments enable these connections. The architecture transforms technical education from an isolated instructional function to a visible and aspirational campus destination. This environment merges performance, technical rigor, and human experience to create a resilient, future-focused learning space. |
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