Architecture & Sustainable Design Articles

Read the Spring 2025 edition of Penn College Magazine, featuring the feats of the Diesel Performance Club and its lightning quick “Accelerated Learning” Mack truck; the Hall of Fame-worthy tool collection of Eric L. Anstadt, assistant professor of electrical technology/occupations; the Clean Energy Center’s expanding reach; the architecture & sustainable design program’s past and present, and much more.

Students in the college’s architecture and sustainable design majors received a wealth of real-world wisdom and one-on-one time with graduates during the program’s biennial Architectural Alumni & Student Day.

The Gallery at Penn College has updated its lighting system, thanks to a $15,000 award from the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative, a grantmaking program established by the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation. Located in The Madigan Library at Pennsylvania College of Technology, the gallery replaced its original halogen track lighting system, installed in 2006, with an LED lighting system.

An interactive workshop conceived and co-presented by Ellyn A. Lester, Pennsylvania College of Technology’s assistant dean of construction and architecture, drew a standing-room only crowd of industry leaders at the Construction Management Association of America’s annual convention, held recently in San Francisco.

The October harvest of internship and job opportunities continues for Pennsylvania College of Technology students. Through the end of the month, five program-specific Recruitment Days are on tap, offering exciting possibilities to discuss internships and full- and part-time jobs.

More than 700 students from 20 area high schools and career and technology education centers attended Penn College’s fifth PA Build My Future event on Thursday to discover what a career in the construction industry might look like. Faculty and students in Penn College’s construction and architecture division were joined by 25 industry partners to provide hands-on demonstrations and activities.

Supporting Pennsylvania College of Technology’s mission to equip future leaders with real-world experience, faculty members led students in exploring new parts of that world through six 2024 Global Experience classes. In Europe, students explored the origin and future of objects of their study, and in Latin America, they used their budding skills to serve others. Around 135 students participated in the classes.

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s architecture majors are among the recipients of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Design Designation in the department’s 2024 cohort. “Penn College’s programs have always focused on sustainability, especially from a zero-energy design perspective. Thus, we’re both excited and honored to be recognized as part of this year’s ZEDD cohort,” said Ellyn A. Lester, assistant dean of construction and architectural technologies.

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s architecture & sustainable design program hosted a dedication on Sept. 9 to celebrate its move to a newly renovated space – on the fourth floor of the George S. Klump Academic Center – that enhances student workspaces and provides room for the growing program to expand its enrollment.

On the eve of their Saturday commencement ceremony, 12 students completing their bachelor’s degrees in architecture & sustainable design presented their culminating works in The Gallery at Penn College. The reception included family members, faculty, classmates, alumni and industry professionals. Each graduating senior was tasked with the design and development of a significant building in a location of their choice.