Energy Innovation Building, California State University, Bakersfield
The 44,450 SF Energy Innovation Building (EIB) will be the central hub of research, experimentation, and collaboration on the future of energy in the San Joaquin Valley. The project will include research and teaching laboratories, a Capstone Design Laboratory, private/open offices, a flex-design event space, the Extended Education Global Outreach center, and an outdoor interactive space. The Energy Innovation Building will be tightly connected to its context, meeting the needs and desires of the talented and ambitious student body. Architecturally, it will seamlessly integrate with the existing campus, respecting its setting while representing a new era of energy and innovation at CSU Bakersfield. Environmentally, it will harmonize with the outdoors and the natural landscape, embodying sustainability design principles that align with the commitment to a greener, more resilient future. Communally, the design will be characterized by a welcoming spirit, creating a space where learning is not just a hidden pursuit but a visible and shared endeavor. In every aspect, this project will harness the potential of collaborative and inclusive design in order to move the region, and nation, forward with renewable energy research. With the Energy Innovation Building, CSU Bakersfield will be able to increase and promote robust industry partnerships, attract funding, facilitate faculty and student research, and engage the community. The Energy Innovation Building will solidify CSUB’s pivotal role in the future of energy solutions in the Valley and beyond.