San Juan College's new School of Energy is conceived as a hybrid of community living room and entrepreneurial industrial workshop. Conceptually, the project is organized into component parts: Industrial Labs, Community Lobby and Gathering Space, and Administrative Offices, which is oriented adjacent to College Blvd. to engage passersby.
The School provides workforce training to the oil and gas industry in addition to degree programs. In addition to standard classes, the building supports large training events in the expanded lobby where students can interact with industry partners during the course of their regular class schedules.
In celebration of the industrial and mechanical vernaculars of the energy industry, the interior is raw, infrastructural, and flooded with highly-controlled daylight. The exterior is characterized by simple, efficient massing and humble materials informed by a strict adherence to campus contextual standards. A delicate stainless steel scrim blocks 60% of thermal heat gain on openings in the administrative wing and main entry, greatly increasing HVAC efficiency, while preserving daylight and views.
The School of Energy is the first of its kind globally in energy education labs and has become an internationally-recognized hub for the energy industry.