Suffolk’s team at Los Angeles Pierce College, which is part of the largest community college district in the nation, recently celebrated the topping off of the new Child Development Academic Facility. This innovative facility underscores the critical role that child development plays in shaping a sustainable future, providing state-of-the-art spaces for education while fostering a deeper connection between students, faculty, and the surrounding community.

The design-build project, which consolidates departmental and faculty office space along dedicated and flexible instructional areas, is designed to achieve zero-net-energy operation and LEED certification.  Suffolk Design and Cal Solar collaborated to construct a 50kW rooftop solar photovoltaic array that offsets 100 percent of the building’s energy. Suffolk’s operations team is also building notable green features that include a rain garden bio-retention area and bioswales to improve stormwater capture and management. Together, these elements showcase a forward-thinking model for sustainable development, aligning with LACCD’s goal of achieving net-zero energy by 2040 and empowering the next generation to prioritize environmental and community well-being.

The study of nature will be a key part of the curriculum, so the buildings are designed to bring the outdoors in. Features such as punched windows maximize natural light while reducing solar heat gain, and a central courtyard provides shaded outdoor study areas that mitigate the heat island effect. The project’s net-zero design was made possible in part by LACCD’s Sustainability Standards, which mandate renewable energy analysis for all projects, regardless of their qualification under the California Energy Commission (CEC) Building Energy Efficiency Standards. These standards also require the inclusion of mandatory sustainability features, many focused on optimizing energy performance, effectively positioning projects for successful net-zero implementation.