Santa Barbara Unified School District

Dos Pueblos High School Engineering Academy

Goleta, CA

The Engineering Academy program is a four-year integrated course of study in physics, computer science and engineering design. During their senior year, students participate in the design and construction of a robot which competes on the national stage.

The design concept was to provide a seamless interaction between Classrooms, Prototype Design and Shop Construction of Competition Robots. The building design was conceived as having a “clean” side and a “dirty” side.

The “clean” side of the building includes the Conference Room, Computer Lab, Office, Mechanical Engineering Classroom and Electrical Engineering Classroom.  The “dirty” side of the building focuses on the manufacturing world: the Prototype Room, Machine Shop and Robotics Arena.

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All windows are shaded by the perimeter covered walkway or covered sun shades. The windows facing the adjacent building are double glazed for energy efficiency and sound attenuation. There are skylights in the conference room and both shop spaces, which allow for the spaces to be used with the minimal electrical lighting.

Increased building envelope insulation creates a passive “thermos bottle” design, which is one of the best energy saving strategies for the mild climate. Also, because of the mild climate, “air-conditioning” cooling is kept only to the computer labs.