I was once part of a courthouse planning team for a new courthouse. When we sat down to interview the short list of architecture firms, the first firm brought in a court planning consultant as part of their team. We were all impressed. They walked out the door, and the next architecture firm came...

If you are designing a new courthouse or renovating existing space, seriously consider budgeting time and money for the construction of a courtroom mock-up. I realize that not every courtroom project can have a full-scale model, and many computer programs allow for walk-through animation. However,...

Objectivity is the bedrock of the American judicial process. We expect the judicial process to be fair and impartial. Should we expect anything less when we plan and design the court facilities that support this process? It’s no surprise that opinions on architecture can be very subjective. From...

The grand jury is an integral and essential component of the American judicial process. Unfortunately, providing appropriate accommodations for the grand jury is not a high priority in many existing courthouses. How does a courthouse demonstrate its recognition of the grand jury’s importance? And...