Valencia Community College
The Valencia Community College Special Events Center is a model of sustainability and green design and has achieved LEED GOLD Certification. Green architecture takes advantage of available natural resources, and this building’s form was generated by sustainable principles. The building’s design employs a modern interpretation of the Florida porch facing Lake Pamela. The porch’s deep overhang protects the main glass concourse from direct solar exposure in the summer while allowing indirect natural light inside the building throughout the year. Rainwater is abundant in Central Florida, so we also designed the Culinary Arts building with a sloped roof able to capture and conserve it in a cistern and put it to good use flushing toilets. Most aspects of the building were designed with energy conservation in mind, including: