Flexible and Hybrid Courtrooms: Innovations for 2025

As we step into 2025, the design of public buildings is undergoing a remarkable transformation. Shifting workplace dynamics, return-to-office mandates, and efforts to modernize or shed outdated government facilities have sparked a demand for innovative, multifunctional spaces. This blog explores one component of courthouse design - the courtroom - which if traditionally designed, can be a large, underutilized space. 

The hybrid courtroom model represents a transformative shift in courthouse planning, blending full-sized courtrooms with smaller hearing rooms to create cost-effective, flexible spaces tailored to modern needs. By incorporating adaptable layouts paired with advanced technology, these spaces enable courts to optimize functionality while reducing waste.

What Are Hybrid Courtrooms?

A hybrid courtroom functions much like a small hearing room. While various sizes and types of hybrid courtrooms are being discussed in courthouse planning circles, a hybrid courtroom is generally smaller than a traditional courtroom and designed to accommodate a limited number of in-person participants, with other participants accessing the proceedings remotely. Some examples of hybrid courtrooms include:

• A room that accommodates only the judge and one or two additional staff
• A room that accommodates the judge, court staff, and one of the parties, while the other party participates remotely
• A room that accommodates the judge, court staff, and both parties, while the public participates remotely
• A room where there is the option for either the judge or one or both parties to participate remotely with limited public seating

Hybrid courtrooms often feature movable furniture and partitions, allowing them to be divided into smaller rooms or combined as one large courtroom. In some cases, a hybrid courtroom is a traditional courtroom that can be divided into two smaller rooms. These smaller rooms can accommodate non-trial proceedings like calendaring, status conferences, and first appearances, and remote hearings such as small claims, mental health evaluations, and pre-trial hearings. Converting a larger courtroom to smaller hearing rooms preserves larger courtrooms for jury trials and complex cases.

The Role of Flexible Furniture and Fixtures

Traditional courtrooms rely heavily on fixed furniture, such as the judge’s bench, the jury box, and railings. While these fixtures provide stability and formality, they can hinder adaptability in undersized or irregular spaces. Flexible furniture solves this problem by allowing elements to be rearranged to suit different proceedings.

Examples include:

• Movable Barriers or Railings: Freestanding, low modular walls or velvet ropes supported by stanchions can replace fixed wood rails, enabling the courtroom’s layout to expand or contract as needed.
• Modular Seating: Freestanding chairs can be repositioned to optimize space for spectators or provide more room in the courtroom’s well.
• Compact Fixtures: Reduced-size lecterns, jury boxes, and attorney tables free up circulation space, making even the smallest courtrooms functional and efficient.

Flexible furniture allows courtrooms to adapt seamlessly to changing needs. Whether accommodating a high-profile trial with expanded seating or creating an intimate setting for sensitive hearings, these innovations ensure no space is wasted while preserving the formality and dignity of the courtroom environment.

Movable Partitions: Expanding and Contracting Spaces

Movable partitions are another game changer in courtroom design. These folding walls enable courtroom sizes to be adjusted based on demand. For example:

• Expanded Spectator Seating: Opening a partition allows the public waiting area to merge with the courtroom, increasing spectator capacity for high-profile cases.
• Private Settings: Closing the partition creates a smaller, more intimate space for sensitive proceedings, such as family court or mental health evaluations.

This adaptability significantly reduces the need for underutilized dedicated spaces, optimizing every part of the courthouse for functionality and flexibility.

Example of a typical 2,400 SF trial courtroom with fixed seating

Example of a courtroom with additional flexible seating and moveable partition

Example of a flexible 1,800 SF courtroom plan with moveable furniture
and railing and mobile partitions to create a separate room showing additional spectator seating

Example of a flexible 1,800 SF courtroom with moveable furniture
and railing and mobile partitions to convert the additional space into a conference room

Example of a flexible 1,800 SF courtroom plan with moveable furniture
and railing and mobile partitions to convert the additional space into a hearing room

Advanced Technologies for Hybrid Courtrooms

By equipping hybrid courtrooms with advanced technology, the spaces can be prepared to adapt to changing demands, minimizing unutilized space while enhancing operational efficiency. Some technologies that can be considered for hybrid courtrooms include: 

• Electronic Evidence Presentation Systems: Streamline document, video, and image display, enhancing jurors’ and judges’ understanding of evidence.
• PTZ Cameras: Provide dynamic monitoring of all participants and electronic presentation with adjustable angles and zoom, improving visibility for both in-person and remote participants.
• Wall-Mounted Flat Panel Displays: Ensure critical evidence and presentations are easily visible to all courtroom participants. These should be placed on multiple walls for a divided courtroom.
• Tabletop Monitors: Allow convenient access to case materials for attorneys, witnesses, and judges, fostering direct engagement during proceedings. Mobile monitors are preferred.
• Microphones: Ensure clear audio for all participants, aiding accurate transcription and communication.
• Control Hub: Centralizes management of AV systems, enabling seamless operation of microphones, cameras, and displays during proceedings.
• Digital Courtroom Scheduling: Optimizes courtroom usage by streamlining the scheduling of proceedings and resources.
• Remote Interpreting: Expands access to interpreters for diverse languages, allowing non-English speakers to communicate effectively during proceedings.
• Assistive Listening Systems: Amplifies sound and reduces background noise, ensuring individuals with hearing impairments can fully engage in legal processes.
• Laptops: Support digital evidence presentation, note-taking, and real-time access to legal resources and case information.

These technologies collectively promote accessibility, efficiency, and clarity in the courtroom, providing an inclusive experience for all participants.

The Future of Courtroom Design

As courts adapt to the demands of the modern era, hybrid courtrooms are an innovative design solution to balance tradition with progress. By incorporating advanced technology and adaptable layouts, these spaces enable courts to optimize functionality while reducing waste. However, achieving this vision requires collaboration and a willingness to break from tradition, embracing a scheduling philosophy that prioritizes flexibility over fixed assignments. These spaces ensure courthouses remain equitable, efficient, and prepared to meet the diverse and evolving needs of the justice system.