Ramp or lift? That’s the question an architect or planner must ask when deciding how to make all portions of the courtroom fully accessible to court participants. Motorized lifts are costly but can take up less space than floor ramps, which can obstruct circulation. However, by integrating...

The use of collegial judges’ chambers is a developing trend in courthouse design. A collegial chambers arrangement is where two or more judges’ chambers suites are grouped together, apart from the courtrooms, instead of the traditional arrangement with a judge’s chambers suite being adjacent to his...

In a recent blog, one of my colleagues wrote about the flow state at work, a state in which you are so focused that your tasks seem almost effortless. If you are trying to achieve this deep state of mind in your workplace, having a quiet retreat is helpful. If you have a private office, that’s...

There are three separate circulation paths in a well-designed modern courthouse: circulation for judges, the public, and prisoners. Each of these circulation paths cannot cross another. However, like a brain-teaser puzzle where you need to draw a shape without crossing lines, how can you design the...

Having a courtroom layout that provides sufficient space for each type of user is critical. The courtroom is the location where three separate circulation zones intersect: public circulation for spectators, family members, and litigators; restricted circulation for the judge, court staff, and jury;...