Jefferson Union High School District – Adult Education and District Office ribbon cutting ceremony – 8/19/24
“From the dungeon to the castle! The mood is so positive, big windows bring in LIGHT, colors bright and beautiful, makes me happy to come to work. Natural light stimulates calm, love hearing the children playing outside on new play structures.” These are the words from Ms. Toni Presta, Superintendent of JUHSD, who, along with students and staff, showed strong emotions at the ribbon cutting ceremony as they reacted to their new District Office and Adult Education facilities designed by HKIT Architects and built by Landmark. These two, net-zero energy, two-story structures totaling 69,000 square feet replace a 1970s era school with no windows, limited daylighting and numerous walls. Forward thinking design transitioned “the dungeon” environment to open rooms, high ceilings, higher air quality, updated colors and roof mounted photovoltaic panels making the project operationally carbon neutral. Other advanced features include green space, walking path, outdoor seating, community gathering spaces, LED lighting, extensive audio visual and security systems plus EV charging stations.