Queensborough Community College is a campus without a place for students to gather. The Science Building, one of the main campus buildings surrounding a cold, paved outdoor "mall", had an underused central exterior courtyard. As part of our upgrade of the Science Building, we conceived of turning this space into a centralized gathering/activity space for all. In order for it to be a friendly, happy space year 'round, we had to find a way to temper the space and bring natural light into it, but without increasing the building's heating/cooling loads. How? Answer: to bring light in, we designed an ETFE (ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene) skylight system. ETFE, used in Europe (the Allianz Football Stadium in Munich by Herzog and DeMeuron, for example) is transparent, lightweight, and formed into air containing pillows which insulates. For us, this was a significant cost-saving over heavy, non-insulating glass skylights. We had to convince the client; cost, both construction and maintenance, turned the trick. Our engineer, AKF, provided the calculated analysis based on recirculated air within the space using "Big Ass Fans", and louvers at the ceiling to control air movement through a computerized building management system (BMS). Heat is not provided now, so it gets chilly in winter but it is surprisingly still used year round. Heating coils, buried in the concrete floor, were provided, but only for use in Phase Two, about to start construction, when the atrium with also become the campus cafeteria. It is the favorite place for students, giving a sense of life to a previously drab campus.