It is a familiar scene in many older courthouses. Just outside a courtroom door, an attorney leans in close to a client, speaking in hushed tones while people stream past. Another attorney is doing the same thing a few feet away. Conversations overlap, and sensitive details are exchanged within...

Courthouse design begins with a disciplined process of listening, testing assumptions, and aligning stakeholders around how the building must function. This process, commonly referred to as “space programming” or “program of requirements” development, establishes the framework for all subsequent...

As fans of the iconic Yellowstone television franchise can attest, the difficult topic of child trafficking was front and center in a recent two-part episode of the popular new network spin-off series Marshals. It’s unfortunately understandable why the show’s creators felt the topic was relevant:

 It started with a contradiction.

Over the past two decades, one fast-growing county where we were engaged to perform court planning had added tens of thousands of residents. As part of our work, we examined the trends shaping the courts and the broader community. New subdivisions replaced open...

 Across the United States, courthouse construction doesn’t always align with long-term needs. Some jurisdictions build facilities with more space than they ultimately use, while others face crowded courtrooms and limited space for judges, staff, and the public.