As part of a bond measure to expand classroom space, Portland Community College (PCC), Oregon's largest institution of higher learning, purchased a 15-acre site in Newberg, Oregon, to develop a new educational facility. As the first building on the site, it creates a welcoming sense of place is critical to the success of the campus. The large, south-facing roof reaches beyond the building’s shell to create a sheltered entry plaza – the front door to the campus.The Portland Community College Newberg Center has been designed to be the first Net-Zero higher education building in Oregon and the second in the United States. To achieve Net-Zero (defined as generating as much energy as it consumes over the course of a year), the building was designed to reduce overall energy consumption by 80% compared to standard higher education academic buildings in the United States. The remaining energy needs are met with a 100kW, rooftop-mounted, solar panel array.