Size: 10,700 SF, Renovation. 48,750, Addition

Scope: Site and Facility Design

Location: Lakewood, CO

Budget: $11.25 million

Jefferson County Open School is a public alternative school available to students kindergarten through 12th grades, serving children throughout Jefferson County and surrounding Denver communities. To maintain the “smart” school experience, enrollment is capped at 600 students. The first phase was an analysis of the educational program and its relationship to the current building. The district realized the program differed from that of its other traditional schools, but did not understand how truly unique it was until this exercise was complete.

A Design Advisory Group (DAG) set the following goals for the project which became a partial replacement of the existing facility sandwiched between the historic gymnasium and the old Lakewood High School building: The new building sits between the two remaining historic buildings and architecturally strives to respect the character of those buildings. The orthogonal geometry is rotated 45 degrees creating dynamic forms that rise above a simple masonry base.