Cushing Terrell enhanced and expanded the existing Career and Technical Education Center at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Oregon.

To modernize and expand the Career and Technical Education Center at the Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Oregon, the Cushing Terrell team designed a 12,000 sq. ft. addition plus renovations to the existing 15,000 sq. ft. shop facilities. The new spaces and systems enhance the student learning environments for the college’s agriculture, natural resources, automated systems, welding, and fabrication programs.

The improvements include creating transparency and cohesion between learning spaces as well as connections to outdoor spaces. The design melds the new and older buildings with contemporary elements such as overhead doors and a metal screen for signage and shading.

A long lobby with entrances at both ends welcomes both community members and students and features comfortable seating, high-top tables, and whiteboards for collaborate work and show-and-tell opportunities. Additional new spaces include classrooms, display areas, breakout spaces, and flexible labs. The technology enriched environment is infused with daylight and views throughout, with most spaces connecting to exterior courtyards so learning can happen inside and out.

Additional design elements include a new culinary kitchen lab to support the agriculture science program and a 28kW solar array that ties into the power distribution system and provides renewable energy for the facility.

Design: Cushing Terrell
Project Team: Corey Johnson, Scott Roberts, Amy Lindgren, Timothy Johnson, Tyler Victorino, Lindsay Watters, Randi Thomas, Angela Hansen
Contractor: Petra General Contractors
Photography: Bob Pluckebaum