NCJ Number
186128
Journal
Court Manager Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Dated: 1999 Pages: 7-18
Editor(s)
K. Kent Batty
Date Published
1999
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article introduces a variety of proven tactics related to planning courthouses that exemplify functional and architectural excellence yet are affordable given the current climate of limited resources.
Abstract
The single most effective approach to getting the courthouse needed for a particular jurisdiction involves cost-conscious programming and design. Cost-effective courthouses can be realized if three early activities--programming, design, and determination of project delivery strategy--are completed concurrently and jointly by the program consultant, architect/planner, and county administration. In particular, the programming phase is the time to re-analyze operations for greater efficiency and to base courthouse building requirements on these operations. At the end of the programming phase, a document should be prepared that states space needs and architectural goals, as well as the approach to such issues as operations, security, and technology. Further, courthouse planning and design should be based on realistic standards, differentiate between needs and desires, consider co-located court functions, consider a dispersed courthouse linked via technology, and plan courthouse construction in phases. Decisions made in the early design of courthouses will result in long-term cost savings, particularly with respect to efficient entrances, larger floor plans, more efficient spaces, adjusted courtroom shapes, video technology, and compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. 7 figures and 5 photographs