Jefferson School City Center

Photo Credit: 2RW Consultants

Charlottesville Jefferson School City Center Adaptive Reuse

Charlottesville, VA

Owner

City of Charlottesville

Timeframe

2007 – 2012

Size

75,000 SF

Cost

$18 million

Peter coordinated with the architect and structural engineer to incorporate an HVAC system into a building where the original design did not include space for heating and cooling systems. He ensured that these modern systems were integrated seamlessly within the facility without compromising the historic fabric of the building. Peter accomplished this by communicating frequently with the design team and stakeholders to ensure that the design intent and identity goals were being met.

Project Goals

The Jefferson School is a landmark building that served as the region’s first African-American school. It was built in four phases from 1926 to 1959 and is listed as a historic property in the City of Charlottesville. During this renovation, painstaking care was taken to maintain the historic integrity and significance of the building for what is now known as the Jefferson School City Center.

The Center is now home to a variety of cultural, educational, and civic groups. The building’s two largest tenants are the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center and the Carver Recreation Center.

Services

2RW provided MEP engineering and construction administration for this renovation and its tenants which included:

Piedmont Family YMCA Childcare Center
Piedmont Virginia Community College Culinary Arts Program
Martha Jefferson Hospital’s Starr Hill Center
JABA Mary Williams Community Center
African American Heritage Center
Carver Recreation Center

2RW also provided lighting design for the adjoining city parking lot.

Results

Partners

Bushman Dreyfus Architects

Awards

2013 – Outstanding Community Preservation Project, Preservation Virginia
2013– Award of Excellence, Building Development and Improvements, Virginia Downtown Development Association

Team