PJHM is proud to announce the Coachella Valley High School Agricultural + Natural Resources Academy is the recipient of the 2014 AIA Orange County Design Honor Award. This award is given annually and is the highest recognition possible. To say we are honored is an understatement. This is icing on the cake of a stellar year for PJHM; last year at this time we had the privilege of winning the 2013 AIA Members Choice Award for the Patrick Henry High School Arts, Media and Entertainment Academy (PHAME). We want to thank the American Institute of Architects Orange County for being the voice of our profession and dedicating themselves to the advocacy of its members and inspiring the quality of the built environment.
Winning this award for our firm is a tremendous honor. It is only trumped by the fact our young, next generation of architects and interns were the inspirational force responsible for the projects’ programming, client contact and design. I speak for all the principles of PJHM Architects when I say we are extremely proud of their effort. – Tom Kruse, Principal Architect
PJHM also wants to thank the Coachella Valley Unified School District, nonprofits, and local industry leaders involved in this project for their unwavering support throughout the process.
About the project:
Climate mitigation and the revitalization of an agricultural community define the Agriculture + Natural Resources Academy. Providing a growing need for agriculturally based curriculum and co-operative opportunities for local farms, the Coachella Valley High School campus will soon house one of the largest and most technologically advanced agricultural educational facilities in California.
Serving as proving grounds for students, the Ag+NRA will provide pathways for students wishing to pursue careers in agriculture and technical sciences. Implementing multiple fundamental design strategies to mitigate the extreme desert environment, the Ag+NRA features extensive use of shade, both passive and active mechanical systems, thermal mass with night ventilation, and daylight-water-wind-solar harvesting. Embracing the FFA motto “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve,” the Ag+NRA will be a valuable asset to students, educators, and the region as a whole.
Please visit the PJHM Project Page to learn more about the Ag+NRA
