HMC Architects and San Bernardino Community College District’s (SBCCD) San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) Technical Education Building were recognized for excellence in sustainable design with a 2023 U.S. Green Building Council Los Angeles (USGBC-LA) Sustainable Innovation Award for Merit in the Health and Well-being category. The award was presented at USGBC-LA’s annual Green Gala and Sustainable Innovation Awards on December 7 in Hollywood, California.

The 102,000 SF, all-electric Technical Education Building is designed to advance the capabilities of SBVC’s automotive, electrical, machine technology, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R), and water technology programs. It will serve as a vital campus resource for students making advancements in electric vehicles, photovoltaics, robotics, and rapid prototyping. Visual links between instructional spaces throughout the building inspire, inform, and connect students and educators. “Sticky” spaces provide opportunities for collaboration and inspiration within and across departments. The building is designed to be a Net Zero-ready living lab that will provide exhibit space for automotive technology and feature innovations in regenerative design, such as solar glass and five solar thermal chimneys to help passively heat and cool the building’s high-bay labs. The design team collaborated closely with the San Bernardino Community College District and Southern California Edison to implement these innovations.

USGBC-LA is an organization of professionals and advocates who work together to transform Southern California into a more sustainable region for all. Members and volunteers believe in creating a more sustainable built environment through education, innovation, and impactful action. The annual Sustainable Innovation Awards evaluate merit-based sustainable strategies demonstrating exemplary performance by exceeding credit achievement. The awards program is open to built and un-built projects certified under any sustainability rating system or on track to achieve certification. To learn more, visit the USGBC-LA website.