LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy & Technology

IBI Group was first recruited to develop a master plan for the entire 141-acre property. The planning called for technical education facilities to integrate with the new south entry of the campus, making the LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy & Technology (CPET) the focal point. The exterior was requested by the College to be a billboard for demonstrating the excellence and commitment to technical education in the community. The CPET facility plays a vital role in helping the region maintain its status as the “Energy Capital of the World”.

The 151,000 sq. ft. instructional complex features an 8,000 sq. ft. process training glycol distillation unit to develop troubleshooting skills for students and incumbent workers, and space to house the process operations program, instrumentation, electrical, nondestructive testing and craft trades. Taking advantage of its long-standing industry affiliations, San Jacinto College partnered with the local petrochemical industry organizations to create a facility that fosters this relationship and provides much needed educational and hands-on training for students and industry professionals.

An industry and faculty goal was to make safety a top priority and cultural mindset; badging and proper work attire is required as a basic curriculum feature in order to promote this workforce ideology.

Situated on the old 25-acre campus golf course, the architecture of the CPET facility is an ambitious showpiece of petrochemical education, training laboratories and processing plant of any in its class. IBI’s interior design includes:

• 31 specialized labs that create a real-life representation of chemical, physical and other technical processes in unit operations;
• 20 classrooms;
• a state of the art control room to operate the glycol distillation unit;
• faculty suites; and
• a large multi-purpose event center that groups can use for academic, community and industrial functions.