The Aquatic Center addition at Jackson High School provides the necessary facilities for Jackson Public Schools to develop their competitive swim program, originally located at their middle school. Jackson Public Schools shares the facility with the community at large following team practice hours, providing opportunities for community members to improve their health and wellness by gaining access to swim classes, open swim, and recreational use that until recently was absent from the community. Integration between schools and community was a priority during the project’s development; the Aquatic Center maintains dedicated, separate entries and locker rooms for the school and community members.

Site geography and architecture of the existing campus, along with the needs laid out by the school district, challenged the design team to get creative. The Aquatic Center addition had to be attached and connected to the existing high school. Essential exit pathways to existing exit doors located at different levels needed to be maintained, and in some cases, the existing elevations did not match the new ones. The new facility includes multiple access points to new offices for high school athletics and administration. With accessibility and security of equal importance, care was taken during design to provide an entryway for students on the south side of the addition, while the community point of access was placed to the north. Spectator seating was designed so access was convenient for both community and student populations.