Juvenile Center Built with Sustainable Design, Artwork in Mind

SAN LEANDRO, Calif. — This spring, Alameda County juvenile offenders will be housed in a new facility that is designed to achieve LEED gold certification.


Officials celebrated the opening of the juvenile justice center with a dedication ceremony and reception that included facility tours and speeches by several stakeholders that were involved with the project.


The $176 million juvenile justice center includes a 360-bed detention center, five courtrooms, and offices for the district attorney, public defender, clerk of the court, sheriff, health care services, education department, library and probation staff.


The facility features an 850-kilowatt solar-panel system that will supply more than 60 percent of the building’s energy needs. Lighting sensors and energy monitoring will help the building exceed California Title 24 energy requirements, standards that were established for all residential and nonresidential buildings in the state.


Water-efficient plumbing fixtures and waterless urinals were utilized to reduce water consumption by 41 percent, and native landscaping and irrigation technology were implemented to create more water-use reductions. Officials estimate 7 million gallons of water will be saved annually.


During construction, 93 percent of waste was recycled and diverted from landfill disposal, including 3,000 tons of crushed rock and 600 tons of glass, aluminum and plastics. Site grading equipment used biodiesel fuel, which resulted in 200 tons of reduced carbon dioxide emissions. All sealants, paints, carpet, wood and other finish materials used inside the building are free of pollutants or have low VOC emissions.









(Clockwise from top) Alameda County officials participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony; more than 100 people attended the dedication ceremony, which was held at the facility’s lobby; classrooms adjacent to housing unit dayrooms provide education spaces for wards; artwork installations are located throughout the building.

Located in the hills of San Leandro behind the former juvenile facility, the 379,000-square-foot justice center offers scenic views of the San Francisco Bay Area. However, the facility was designed to also provide inspiring views with several interior and exterior art installations.


Under the guidance of the Alameda County Arts Commission, 24 artists provided artwork for the facility, including large murals and sculptures, and framed, wall-mounted art pieces. In addition, artists will work with youths in the facility to create other public art installations. The artwork was funded by a county ordinance that requires artwork to be incorporated in public buildings.


The sustainable design features at the juvenile justice center are part of a countywide effort to boost environmentally friendly construction. The county is also home to Santa Rita Jail, which relies on a fuel cell power plant and solar energy for most of its power (see the January/February issue of Correctional News).