The Phillip J. Patiño School of Entrepreneurship

The Phillip J. Patiño School of Entrepreneurship is an innovative facility within the Fresno Unified School District. The public, magnet high school program represents a unique concept — even by California standards — and is the only one of its type in the US. When graduates complete the program, the young entrepreneurs will have started businesses of their own, launched while they were students in this program.

A fast-track project that began in January 2015, the $11M build was completed in time for the first day of school in August, bringing to life the architectural designs of Darden Architects.

The school’s design is as innovative as its learning philosophy. The main classroom building includes no desks for students but features 13 tech-ready teaching stations, with two double-sized rooms used for collaborative learning and lectures. Located off the main entrance is a “Shark Tank” room. Used for student presentations and business idea “pitches,” this room features an interactive, wide-screen media wall.

The second building serves as a mixed-use hub for the student body and includes a cafeteria with an adjacent outdoor patio, divided by a transparent operable wall. At the building’s west end, there is a suite of business-style offices and collaboration space has been included as a form of library and learning lab. Many design features promote high-performance energy efficiency, including LED lighting throughout, cool roofing, preservation and addition of shade trees, energy management system, in-classroom acoustical dampening, low-water fixtures and landscaping, and an abundance of shaded and bright natural light in classrooms and throughout the hallways.

The general contractor, Seals/Biehle, enlisted Giroux Glass to complete the glazing of this new construction. Giroux Glass installed interior and exterior glass work, sliding and other doors, curtain wall systems, storefronts, and storefront doors.

The design and construction of the campus epitomize the school’s motto: “Innovate. Lead. Learn. Create.” The school and its construction earn an “A+” on achieving all four goals, along with several design awards.