Entry number: UB06016
Project Name: CCSD Technology Building
Building Type: Educational
Completion Date: 2009
Architect: JMA
Interior Designer: JMA

Design Approach/Narrative: The purpose of placing sustainability at the core of the design program for the technology was to underscore the under standing of “green” as being utterly consistent with the aims of the most current cutting edge technology. Built in the anticipation of receiving a gold LEED rating, the center attempts to be simultaneously respectful of the environment while not being intimidated by the stringency of its demand. It does this by embracing the unique conditions of its desert location and boldly making many of the paths of circulation- and several of the flex spaces – external. The active interplay that this creates between interior and exterior, underscores the commitment to the scheme’s idea of connectivity. This concept of connectivity – which is the essence of the technology center – thereby finds expression in the building’s tectonics. By creating a virtual network of the paths and interstices, the design echoes the functions of the technology center’s work. A series of scrims – vertically situated as screens and used horizontally as canopies – are employed throughout the design to mitigate the effects of sunlight upon the building’s interior spaces and serve as a unifying visual theme. Additionally, an outdoor plaza above the entry, serves as the building’s front porch, connecting its inhabitants with the adjacent neighborhood. A similar result was achieved by providing a screened out door lounge on the south façade and a balcony to the west. The end result is the generation of a comfortable environment that supports and enhances the activities of discovery.

Material in ASL Library: Form Core Boards, Project Description Form, Exteriors Photos, Location Map, Site Plan, Floor Plan, and Interior Photos