Jefferson Union High School District Office and Adult School

This project was featured in the October 2021 issue of ARCHITECT.

HKIT Architects was charged with updating and adding a new district office and adult school to the Jefferson Union High School District in Daly City, Calif. However, the Oakland, Calif.–based firm is setting its sights higher. It plans to excel environmentally by designing the forthcoming two-story, 30,000-square-foot office building and 39,000-square-foot classroom building to be net-zero energy.

The district wanted “a facility that is timeless,” says HKIT principal architect Jeff Evans, AIA, NOMA. The existing facility was a “1970s-era school with no windows, limited daylighting, an open plan, infill walls with rooms, and topper rooms.” Using efficient daylighting and passive design techniques, HKIT intends to achieve high indoor air quality and minimize outside air infiltration for the building renovation and expansion.

Evans says that a tight building envelope will help ensure a low energy use intensity while roof-mounted photovoltaic panels will make the project operationally carbon neutral. “Use of photovoltaics is a consistent theme,” adds HKIT director of design Rod Henmi, FAIA, NOMA. “The two buildings—the district office and adult education—have their roofs slope in the same direction and at the same slope in order to capitalize on the daylighting and the photovoltaic panels. South-facing roofs work extremely well for photovoltaics.”

Set to begin construction next summer, the JUHSD renovation and expansion also introduces co-use spaces to the site. A publicly accessible portion of the property will include green space, a children’s playground, a basketball court, a walking path with seating areas, community gathering places, and electric vehicle–charging stations.