The Southwest Building Science Training Center is the longest standing Department of Energy recognized training center in the southwest.

The project was initiated to develop and deliver a complete weatherization training program for the Arizona Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), using Training and Technical Assistance (T&TA). The major funding sources for the building of this project were ARRA and the Arizona Energy Office, (now the Governor’s Office of Energy Policy), who also administered funding through contributions from Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP), Southwest Gas, Tucson Electric Power. The equipment within the building was funded primarily by a Department of Energy Grant and APS. The project was overseen by the Foundation for Senior Living and its subsidiary FSL Home Improvements.

There are several weatherization features in this building; it has a walk-in partially floored conditioned or unconditioned attic space, a cantilevered flooring section allows us to manipulate insulation as well as simulating a tuck-under garage, it was built using several construction materials that we see in the Southwest, both common and progressive ones; It also has three different types of roofing, windows of different U and E values, accessible attic insulation, accessible floor connections and accessible skylights and can lights. In 2024, the building was updated with a 450-foot pressure lab. The lab can be manipulated to leak up to 1100 CFM50, simulating real-world conditions with regard to infiltration/exfiltration, duct leakage, open chases, and uncapped soffits. The HVAC system is designed to teach air flow characteristics including static pressure, dominant duct leakage, and room-to-room pressures. Pressure diagnostics can be performed to find thermal and pressure boundaries, buffer zones, and using a blower.