The Center for Academic Achievement (CAA) takes a unique approach by intertwining spaces for education, community and administration into one building.
A third of the building houses the districts Signature Education Programs with state of the art education spaces. Some of the program spaces include a micro cell biotechnology lab, two medical simulation rooms with mannequins, an engineering fabrication lab and a state of the art kitchen, bakery and bistro that makes up a fully functioning restaurant.
In addition to housing the districts Signature Programs it also consists of appealing and flexible meeting spaces, available for community members to use. In the lobby is a “living wall” that fills a 2-story section of live plants and provide for cleaner air while adding beauty.
The remaining portion of the building is occupied by the administrative team. With employee wellness being a key district initiative, the building includes an impressive workout facility accessible to all employees and a health clinic that employees with district health care plans can use.
The building was designed to LEED Silver standards and incorporates sustainability and wellness throughout. In addition to being built with recycled (and recyclable) materials, it also features of this energy efficient and healthy building include: an underfloor displacement air system with integrated power and data wire management in conjunction with LED lighting, daylight harvesting & management, and low-flow fixtures. The open design allows natural light to filter to the interior of the building, reducing the need for artificial lighting. On site there are six electric car charging stations are available to employees and visitors, a 20,000-gallon underground cistern captures rain to irrigate the CAA Urban Farm, and a quarter-mile walking trail that connects to the neighborhood and nearby park system.