The courthouse planning needs assessment sets the stage for the other elements in the design and construction process (I like to call it a catalyst for design/construction). Therefore, the more engaged the court components are in the needs assessment, the better the results for the future of the...

Planning, funding, designing, and constructing a significant renovation project to an existing courthouse or the construction of a new courthouse is lengthy and can take ten years or more. A courthouse plan, or needs assessment, is the first step in the process and includes assessing the court's...

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a public-private partnership team proposal for a new courthouse project for Miami-Dade County. (Ventures of this type are commonly referred to by the shorthand terms PPP or P3.) I have not been heavily involved in the area of P3 ventures in the past;...

In my last article, I discussed the advantages of video-conference hearing rooms. Today, I will present an overview of the basic components that should be included in an ideal video-conference hearing room.

When discussing courthouse metrics, the higher the rating score, the better the existing facility meets the operational needs of the court. An overall rating score of 100 represents an ideal courthouse, 80-100 is a well-functioning courthouse, and below 60 is a courthouse with significant...