UC Santa Barbara Ocean Science Education Building

Two discrete functions–University of California, Santa Barbara’s ocean science center for K-12 students and offices for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary–embrace a courtyard featuring a kelp tank, a central element in the story of the Channel Islands ecosystem. A connecting deck, clad in sustainably harvested machiche wood, frames the island view. In addition to touch tanks, classroom, and virtual theater, the outreach center includes an interactive representation of an ocean floor research transect. Fully outfitted, the building provides nearly 80% of the energy it uses, despite the energy-intensive uses of the aquarium features.