East Jessamine Middle School

A New Educational Campus

The East Jessamine Middle School was the first of several buildings on a new educational complex that includes Red Oak Elementary (also designed by Sherman Carter Barnhart).

The most dynamic feature of the school is the unique cafetheater (the first cafetheater in Kentucky), featuring theater style retractable seating for 750 persons. Designed to host theatrical performances and other assemblies, the cafetheater features stage lighting and special acoustical treatments. It is strategically located opposite the gymnasium, separated by a large lobby/gathering space to support breakout activities between events. The cafetheater, gymnasium, and music department are located so that this area of the building can be open for performances and other group activities while the rest of the building is secure and closed. Substantial parking close to the main entrance into the activity area of the building is also provided to further support the performance activity /public space as well as community use.

In the design of the East Jessamine Middle School, emphasis was placed on:

• Academic performance – Utilizing grade level families with dedicated support spaces and teacher workrooms within each grade level wing.
• Long term maintenance and operations of this new facility. A mechanical mezzanine was designed to accommodate all of the geothermal heat pump units without interruption to the classrooms or student circulation spaces.
• Energy efficiency throughout the design was a top priority. The building utilizes a geothermal heat pump system, highly insulated exterior walls, a highly reflective membrane roofing material to reduce heat gain and reflect heat as well as other energy saving measures.