DONALD DWORE

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Biography

Mr. Dwore is a graduate of North Carolina State University (B.S. in Architecture, 1965), served on active duty with the Corps of Engineers from 1965-1967, and in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1967-1971 as a 1st Lt.. Mr. Dwore then practiced architecture in Albany, New York with the firm of Blatner Mendel Mesick Cohen (BMMC) in the areas of healthcare, educational, residential, and commercial projects. He received his architectural license in 1971 and moved to Florida in 1973 to join the firm of Ferendino Grafton Spillis Candela and became a partner of the firm in 1982. His practice consisted of hospitals, airports, laboratories, higher education, and justice facilities, with healthcare and justice dominating his project experience.

Since the mid-90s, he has practiced almost exclusively as a justice architect, designing local, state, federal, appellate, and supreme courthouses, public safety facilities, detention centers, prisons, and correctional institutions. Spillis Candela & Partners merged with AECOM in 1999 and in 2005 Mr. Dwore moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico and practiced out of the AECOM Albuquerque office.

With more than 37 years of experience in justice architecture, Mr. Dwore is nationally recognized as an expert in the field of justice facility design. He has served as a principal in numerous recent justice projects and is well known for his understanding of the aesthetic, functional, and security needs of end users in justice facilities. His ability to facilitate dialogue between user groups and design professionals accounts for the lengthy list of successful, award-winning courthouse projects attributed to AECOM.

Mr. Dwore has been a member of the AIA for 39 years and has served on many local and national boards for the AIA. He is also a member of the AIA Academy for Healthcare.  He was selected by the Architecture for Justice Subcommittee of the AIA to be the Chairman for the selection of projects to be included in AIA’s “Justice Facilities Review.” Published yearly, this document shows recent work of architects throughout the country in the fields of courts, correctional, public safety, and police facilities. Six individuals from around the country served on this jury which was held at AIA Headquarters. In April 2001 Mr. Dwore was selected as Chairman of the Review Panel based upon his national reputation as an expert in the planning and design of justice facilities. He was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in February, 2001.

Project Experience:

Rutherford County Judicial Center, Murfreesboro, Tennessee- Working as a courthouse design consultant and Associated Architect to Gresham Smith and Partners of Nashville, the Rutherford County Commission engaged us to design a new 215,000sf/six story county courthouse and a 360 car garage in the historic district of downtown Murfreesboro, TN. The new courthouse will house up to 16 circuit courtrooms (12 at occupancy), 18 chambers, space for the circuit civil and criminal clerks, the Clerk and Master, a resolution center, court administration, a domestic violence coordinator, the sheriff, the District Attorney and Public Defender and a sally-port that can accommodate a large inmate bus. The courthouse will come on line in less than three years.

Benton/Franklin Counties Juvenile Justice Center, Kennewick, Washington-Working as a courthouse design consultant and associated architect to Dyron Murphy and Associates of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Benton/Franklin County Commissions hired us to prepare a facility master plan/program/conceptual design for their Juvenile Justice Center located in Kennewick, Washington. Included in the master plan will be the evaluation of the existing courthouse/administration facility which connects to the adjacent Juvenile Detention Center.

 A New Justice Center for the Nez Perce Tribe of Lapwai, Idaho,-Working as a design consultant and associated architect to Dyron Murphy and Associates of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Nez Perce Tribe hired us to prepare a facility master plan/program/site selection and conceptual design for their new justice center to be located on their reservation in Lapwai, Idaho. The new justice center will be located on Tribal lands in Lapwai, Idaho and includes a 25,000sf courthouse and a 6,500sf police station.

Charlotte County Justice Center Facility Assessment, Punta Gorda, FL – Working with  Dan Wiley, Planner & Programmer, we re-evaluated a major county courthouse that was opened in 1999. Both of us were on the original planning and design team. Courthouse has 9 courtrooms and 197,100 square feet, in 2 wings – a 5-story courts wing and a 3-story clerk wing. Expansion will occur with a new 2 courtroom, 5 story module easily added to the east end of the existing courtroom wing.

State of New Mexico, Property Control Division, Santa Fe, New Mexico – Space Use Assessments Seven State Buildings - Currently is working with other consultants on evaluating space use in seven state buildings in Santa Fe. Buildings range from 60,000 to 175,000 SF. Inspections, creating “as-built” documents, recommending options for future use and master planning.

Quay County District Courts, Tucumcari, New Mexico - Asked to evaluate and recommend major design changes to their historic courtroom and to redesign the County/Court Clerk’s office space. Special attention was given to the historic structure continually in use since 1939 and built under FDR’s” New Deal” programs.

Mescalero Apache Tribe – Adult/Juvenile Detention Master Plan; Mescalero, New Mexico - Tasked with providing the Mescalero Apache Tribe with a comprehensive master plan for the incarceration of the adult/juvenile members of the tribe. Studied alternatives to incarceration as well as a new detention center that meets the unique needs of the tribe. A local detention center will reduce costs associated with transporting tribal prisoners to distant communities.

Santa Fe County District Courts Site, Feasibility Study, Santa Fe, New Mexico - Was retained to provide an overview of site conditions, site feasibility studies, and preliminary building volume/massing studies for a new County District Courthouse to be built on the corner of Sandoval and Montezuma Streets. A total of 17 conceptual options were studied with a final refinement of five options being considered further. The program of 124,000 SF with a 3 or 4 story building was the parameter studied for a fit on the site. Also required was below grade parking for 120 cars. Our study proved that the program with parking did fit on the site with an estimated construction cost of ± $35,500,000 and a project cost of ± $43,300,000. This project is under construction today.

Bernalillo County Master Plan / Needs Assessment, Albuquerque, New Mexico - Was tasked with performing a building (physical) evaluation of the old (historic) courthouse in order to identify the physical characteristics of the building. A team of two (2) architects and four (4) engineers probed the existing building to ascertain its worthiness for future county use. The 4 story plus a basement building had two (2) distinct construction phases, one built prior to the 1960’s and one built in 1965. Total square footage is 149,605 SF. This building evaluation was a portion of the Bernalillo County Downtown Master Plan which looked at all county facilities in the Albuquerque downtown core area.

Doña Ana County Justice Center, Las Cruces, New Mexico - Provided master planning, programming, site selection and conceptual design services for a new or new and renovated district courthouse to be located in downtown Las Cruces.  Projections for 10 and 15 years were estimated to be 200,000 – 225,000 gross square feet of space.  After studying six sites in Las Cruces, the County decided to stay with the existing site and utilize much of the existing courthouse for the space required by the District Attorney.  The existing courthouse, a converted historic high school, would be totally utilized by court related agencies and a new 5-story courtroom tower would be built to satisfy the needs of the district court. The estimate for the new 5-story courtroom tower and the retrofit of the existing building was $65 - $70 million dollars.

Flagstaff Municipal Court, Flagstaff, Arizona - Tasked by the City of Flagstaff and Municipal Courts to assess the existing and long-term need of the Municipal Court and then to develop options and recommendations for meeting the assessed needs. We studied six (6) different sites, as well as two (2) existing buildings, all in downtown Flagstaff for the possible location of the municipal court. Conceptual estimates for construction costs were prepared for all available sites, as well as retrofits ranging from $14 - $20 million for a program of 42,000 – 50,000 square feet.

Long Beach County Courthouse, Long Beach, California - Currently finalizing the detailed program, master plan, and design of a new 31-courtroom court building to meet the 35-year needs of the Superior Courts in Long Beach, CA.  The project involves the construction and 35-year operation of the court building which will provide space and services for a high-volume of criminal, civil, and family judicial proceedings in the downtown area of Long Beach. The new Court Building will include 23 multi-purpose trial courtrooms, two juvenile delinquency courtroom, two arraignment courtrooms, one traffic courtroom, other high-volume courtrooms, court administration offices, and below grade, a secure vehicle sally port, central in-custody holding, 35 secure parking spaces, receiving and trash docks, and mechanical / electrical rooms.

Taos County Administration and Judicial Complex, Taos, New Mexico - Performed master planning, programming, site selection, architecture, engineering, interior design, courts consulting and electronic security engineering for a new 137,500 square foot facility located in Taos, New Mexico.  The new facility, located on a 10.6 acre property, consists of three (3) linked two (2) story buildings organized around a central courtyard or plaza.  The County Administration (40,000 SF), County Courthouse (53,000 SF) and the County Detention Center (44,000 SF) are designed to reflect the unique traditions of Pueblo Revival architecture. The project was occupied in late May of 2011 at a cost of +/- $36,500,000.00, just slightly over the bid in price, in June of 2009, of $36,074,700.00. 

Pima County Consolidated Courts, Tucson, Arizona - Provided programming, master planning, and design services for the development of the Consolidated City / County Courts complex. Approximately 250,000 SF in actual design, the project consists of a 30-courtroom court project, with future expansion to accommodate growth to 46 or more courtrooms. The facility will consolidate the County Justice and City Municipal Courts, currently located in three separate facilities into a modern, state-of-the-art justice center. The consolidation of the courts will result in enhanced public service and operational efficiencies. In addition to resolving the functional needs of the program, the design of the facility responds to the City’s plans to revitalize the adjacent Rio Neuvo downtown district and acts as a bridge to the Warehouse Arts district.

San Jose Federal Courthouse Feasibility Study, San Jose, California - Commissioned to prepare a comprehensive study that reviews all identified sites (six) and alternatives for the 10 and 30 year needs of the District, Magistrate and Bankruptcy Courts and related agencies. The existing courthouse, built in the early 80’s, was studied at great length to see if the projected needs could possibly fit into the existing 269,000 square foot building or if a new building would be required. The possibility of utilizing the existing building far into the future exists because there is a significant reduction in the anticipated level of growth for the United States Courts and related agencies. Today, the US Government is considering one of the retrofit options and one new site option as possibilities for the future home of the District, Magistrate and Bankruptcy courts.

Delta County CO Master Plan, Delta, Colorado - Provided programming and master planning for a county-wide master plan and program with initial conceptual design studies covering all county government agencies and departments, including County Administration, County and District Courts, Sheriff’s office and Law Enforcement Facilities, County Detention facilities, 911- Communications Center and Emergency Operations Center, and other county services and functions. We are currently completing the master plan of the recommended downtown consolidated campus site and preparing cost estimates for initial concept designs for a new six-courtroom court project (expandable to 12 courtrooms) and associated long-range plan for new Sheriff’s Office and Detention Facility and a nearby County Administration Center.

Maricopa County Justice System Master Plan, Phoenix, Arizona - AECOM was commissioned to prepare a comprehensive 10-year facilities plan to accommodate a total of 209 courtrooms, more than 4,000 agency staff (all justice-related agencies), and associated detention facility planning. Court planning included the consolidation of County Justice Courts with Superior Court at several regional district court service centers housing Civil, Family Law, Probate and Juvenile Courts. As part of the plan, the existing Central Courthouse will be expanded to 85 courtrooms and house centralized Criminal Courts as well as Family law, Civil, Probate and Juvenile Courts serving the Southwest/Central District. Included in the plan are renovation of the Historic Courthouse, three new regional court centers, renovation and expansion of the Southeast District Court, parking facilities and reuse of existing juvenile courts.

Duval County, Jacksonville, Florida - the firm is providing owner’s representative services for a new 700,000-800,000 square foot civil/criminal courthouse in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. We are also designing 155,000 square feet of space for the State Attorney (in the Historic Federal Courthouse) and 70,000 square feet of space for the Public Defender in 2 existing facilities in close proximity to the new courthouse.

1st District Court of Appeal, Tallahassee, Florida:  A new 110,000 square foot 1st District Court of Appeal courthouse is being designed for the expanding court. 18 judicial chambers, 2 courtrooms, and support space will be built on a large 14-15 acre parcel on the south side of Tallahassee.

Clayton County Juvenile Justice Center, Jonesboro, Georgia, in association with KSGW of Atlanta, Georgia, we designed a state of the art Juvenile Justice Center that attached to the existing traditional county courthouse. Included in the project are four (4) courtrooms, 4 judicial chambers, space for the court clerk, public defender, state attorney, county sheriff and experienced court staff that directly deal with juvenile concerns.

City of Miami College of Policing, Miami, Florida:  The new City of Miami College of Policing will house educational facilities, a firing range, the Miami-Dade school board magnet school, and the city’s emergency operations center. This project is a true multi-use facility for the city, school board, and police department.

City of North Miami Beach, Public Safety Building, North Miami Beach, Florida:  An award-winning 42,600 square foot facility that includes squad operations; holding areas; men’s and women’s locker rooms; records storage; investigation area; detective bureau; crime scene and photo lab; training; weapons and evidence storage; and general administrative support. In addition, the project includes a parking deck and vehicle maintenance and fueling facility.

Broward County, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida:  Project consists of master planning many pieces: 788,000 square foot civil/family (74-courtroom) courthouse, additions and renovation to 3 satellite courthouses, a 10-courtroom addition to the existing criminal court tower, a new 12-courtroom satellite courthouse, and a new 1500-car garage. The 788,00sf new civil/family courthouse will occupy 1.55 acres of the total 18 acre downtown site dedicated for justice facilities. Project will include pedestrian parks, plazas, a riverfront promenade and a parcel reserved for a potential Federal Courthouse. Construction started in 2012 and will be completed in 2014 at a cost of over $180 million dollars.

Flagler County, Bunnell, Florida:  This 135,000 square foot, 6-courtroom facility replaced a historic structure that could no longer serve the needs of the citizens of Flagler County. Project was designed and built using the CM at Risk delivery system in less than 2 years.

South Fulton Municipal Regional Justice Center, Union City, Georgia:  A design/build 140,000 square foot multipurpose facility which provides space for public safety, detention and support facilities. The public safety component includes administration, operations, storage, two courtrooms, a medical facility, a recreational facility and a service garage. The detention facility is connected to the public safety facility by an enclosed corridor, and contains 213-beds to house repeat offenders.

Town of Davie Public Safety Building, Davie, Florida:  A new 50,000 square foot Police Headquarters and Public Safety Complex inclusive of holding cells, investigation division, forensic department, and related administrative support spaces. Complex also to include a new 12,000 square foot Fire Station and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) facility.

Michigan Supreme Court (Hall of Justice), Lansing, Michigan:  Programming, planning and design services on a multi-phase 270,000 square foot Supreme Court Building, sited on axis with the historic state Capitol. The project consisted of: the ceremonial courtroom of the Supreme Court, Supreme Court Justice chambers, two Appellate Courtrooms, Appellate Court Judges Chambers, a Clerk of Courts and Courts Administration. Phase I included master planning, programming, site evaluations and schematic design. Phase II consisted of construction documentation, value engineering and life-cycle costing.

Anne Arundel County Courthouse, Annapolis, Maryland:  This new 295,000 square foot complex located in the historic district of Annapolis surrounds the magnificent Historic 1824 courthouse and includes both new construction and historic preservation. The new courthouse houses 18 courtrooms including one major courtroom, four Masters (juvenile) courtrooms, 12 circuit courtrooms and one orphans court. The facility also houses jury support, Sheriffs offices, holding cells, 12 judges’ chambers and administrative support areas.

Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse, Alexandria, Virginia:  In order to sensitively address its location in the historic Old-Town district of Alexandria, this 515,000 square foot courthouse design involved a collaborative effort from federal, historic planning, judicial, civic and community groups. The 255-foot high, ten story courtroom tower is flanked by two wings of five and three stories respectively, and includes 15 courtrooms, the US Attorney’s offices, the US Marshal’s offices, the US Magistrate, support space and a secure 500 car, below grade garage. The project has received several awards and has been widely published.

Broward County North Regional Courthouse, Deerfield Beach, Florida:  70,000 square feet, 4 courtrooms, judicial offices, and chambers. This project was the conversion of the old Whirlpool warehouse into a state of the art Broward County Courthouse.

Charlotte County Justice Center, Punta Gorda, Florida:  A five-story 197,000 square foot facility that includes space for the judiciary, court administration, the clerk of courts, the state attorney, the public defender, and the sheriff’s department.. At the completion of Phase I, the Justice Center will house nine courtrooms supporting the latest in court technology, including micro-imaging, video arraignments, and real-time court reporting.

Miami-Dade County Family Courts Facility, Miami, Florida:  The phased renovation of this 257,000 square foot facility included architectural, engineering, planning, and interior design services. Originally designed as an office building, the County acquired the structure to be converted into a courthouse dedicated exclusively to family and domestic violence matters. The existing 31-story building has a three-story base which houses the Domestic Violence Courts. The 20-story tower houses the Family Courts, the General Masters Courts, the State Attorney, Public Defender, and the offices of the Clerk of Courts. An eight -story parking garage is included in Phase III.

District of Columbia Courts Complex Master Plan, Washington, DC:  A master plan for a 1.5 million square foot courts complex was developed through collaboration with the District’s legal and technical parties, data collection, and the use of an innovative “designing from the inside out” approach to a new complex.

Glades County, Courthouse Assessment and Recommendations, Moore Haven, Florida:  A study to identify the need for improvements to its historic courthouse including restoration of the historic courtroom, ADA compliance, improved holding facilities, improved security, air conditioning upgrades, replacement of courtroom fixtures and furniture, and improved records storage for the Clerk of Courts.

Isabella County Facility Needs Study, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan:  Comprehensive master plan for Isabella County’s facility needs. The study included analyzing the county government’s administrative, judicial, and correctional functions for the next 20 years.

Jacksonville/Duval County Courthouse Competition, Jacksonville, Florida:  our firm, along with Porphyrios Associates of London, England was selected as one of four finalists for the competition on the $165 million, 900,000 gross square foot County Courthouse located in Jacksonville, Florida. The competition required the complete design of a new courthouse containing 43 courtrooms initially expandable to 54 chambers for 54 judges and support space for clerks, court administrators, and the sheriff. A seven block area in downtown Jacksonville was chosen as the site for the new courthouse.

Centro Judicial, Puerto Madero, Argentina: This 1,650,000 sf Judicial Center is the result of the Argentinean government’s push to facilitate interaction between departments by bringing them together in one building complex. The large center, comprised of three separate structures and surrounded by public plazas, will be home to the reorganized judicial departments as well as a library and a law school. The Judicial Center will provide state-of-the art security and over 160 new courtrooms, judicial chambers and offices for the Federal Civil Courts, Commercial Courts, Labor Courts, Electoral Courts and the Federal Appeals Courts. A 1,500 car underground parking structure provides security and accessibility.

Waterloo Courts Center, Ontario, Canada: in association with NORR Architects of Toronto, we designed a 425,000sf, 30 courtroom provincial facility for the Province of Ontario located just to the north of Toronto in Waterloo.  The project is a Triple “P” endeavor (Public Private Partnership) with Ellis Don the construction component of our team.  

Lee County Justice Center, Fort Myers, Florida:  Master planning and reprogramming of existing 215,000 square foot county courthouse, development of 55,000 square foot of shell space for six (6) new courtrooms, and expansion of office space for county agencies. Three pods comprising 165,000sf and housing 18 courtrooms were completely renovated. Construction was phased over a two year period in order to keep the courthouse operational.

Loudoun County Courts System Expansion Study, Leesburg, Virginia:  The pre-design project included court planning and programming, site and master planning, urban planning, and historic preservation considerations which demonstrated the feasibility of locating adequate court facilities on-site by means of new construction and adaptive reuse.

Marion County Courthouse, Ocala, Florida:  Principal-in-Charge of proposal with a developer for the design of new and renovated courthouse. The $12 million project has 10 courtrooms and 125,000 square feet of space.

Nassau County Courthouse, Yulee, Florida: we provided complete design services for a new 111,569sf county courthouse, the second building constructed on Nassau County’s new west county Government site. The courthouse will include four courtrooms and judicial chambers, offices for the Clerk of Courts, the Sheriff, the State Attorney, the Public Defender and a Grand Jury suite.

Justice A. A. Birch Justice Center and Ben West Courthouse Renovation, Nashville, Tennessee:  Master plan, program, and develop a conceptual design for a judicial complex. The project consisted of designing a new courthouse and renovation of an existing courthouse in downtown Nashville, overlooking the Cumberland River. The new courthouse project consists of 275,000 square feet of new construction, and the renovation covers an additional 39,400 square feet. Services provided were architecture, electrical engineering, electronic security engineering, life-cycle costing, and value engineering.

Nashville/Davidson County Interim Courts Facility, Nashville, Tennessee: in association with the Barge Wagner firm, we planned and designed 156,330sf of space for interim use while the new criminal/civil courthouse and the Historic Courthouse are under construction. The interim space will be utilized for three years. Housed in this space will be 20 courtrooms and chambers and space for all clerks and court administrators. The project was fast tracked under a design-build delivery system.

Nashville/Davidson County Court System Analysis and Criminal Court, Nashville, Tennessee: in association with the Gresham Smith firm, we were selected to provide a study to forecast the future growth of the judicial system and evaluate existing court facilities. The county created an interim court facility to accommodate the entire downtown court system while their historic courthouse was renovated and a new criminal courthouse was designed and constructed. We were selected to provide complete planning, programming and design services.

Northumberland County Courthouse and Government Center, Heathsville, Virginia:   Programming Consultant for new $4.5 million, 20,000 square foot courthouse and government center. Planning will also include the newly erected jail and historic courthouse jail into a unified county government center.

Orange County Historical Courthouse Restoration, Orlando, Florida: the historic four story courthouse had many additions removed in order to restore it to the original building constructed in 1916.The original courtroom was restored completely and the remainder of the 40,000sf building is utilized as a historical museum.  

Orange County Traffic Courts, Orlando, Florida:  Principal-in-Charge for $4.5 million, 55,000 square feet of space (the conversion of the old JC Penny Department store) into 6 traffic courts for interim use by Orange County. Fast-track method of construction was used.

Palm Beach County Judicial Complex, West Palm Beach, Florida: we were tasked with the conceptual design, space planning and occupancy planning for 326,527 square feet of space that included 34 courtrooms, 9 hearing rooms, clerk of the court, court administration and other administrative space. In addition, we designed the interiors for the 180,000sf State Attorney/Public Defender Building that sits north of the new county courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach. Separate secure entrances were provided on the ground floor for the state attorney and the public defender.

Palm Beach County Courthouse and Government Center, West Palm Beach, Florida:  Partner-in-Charge of $3.7 million, 150,000 square foot project that provided 17 courtrooms to the County in less than six months for interim use until new courthouse is finished.

Robert E. Sweeney District Courts Building, Annapolis, Maryland:  Master planning of a 9.6-acre site which included a 93,500 District Courts building and a 91,000 square foot multi-service center. The District Courts building boasts a contemporary design within the context of the historic City of Annapolis. It houses four courtrooms, five judges’ chambers, and support spaces for the Seventh District Court South County Operations. The Multi-Service Center will house educational and social service functions. The project is being constructed in two phases.

St. Johns County Courthouse and Permitting Center, St. Augustine, Florida:  Master planning of this site in historic downtown St. Augustine provided for the renovation of an 1888 courthouse and the consolidation of all county functions into a 235,000 square foot complex. The first phase introduced a 100,000 square foot courthouse and a 36,000 square foot permitting center. The award-winning structure features six courtrooms, a hearing room, judges’ chambers, the Sheriff’s Operation Center, the State Attorney, the Public Defender, the Clerk of Courts, and room for expansion. It is highly secure and technologically equipped. The second phase involved a sensitive restoration of the historic courthouse in accordance with Federal and State Codes.

State of California Courts Master Plan, Statewide, California:  A study and evaluation of 451 existing court facilities (more than 2,100 courtrooms) in the state of California and the creation of a master plan which addresses building standards, the projection of future needs, the development of an implementation plan to offer options for prioritizing construction, cost estimating, funding, and ownership issues to meet the State’s long-term renovation and expansion requirements. Approximately 10,138,000sf of space was reviewed and documented in this state wide study.

State of Florida Third District Court of Appeal Addition, Miami, Florida:  This 47,000 square foot state court facility includes an appellate courtroom, judicial chambers, law library, conference rooms, and offices for clerks and marshals. Addition encompassed a two-story, 8,200 square foot addition to the award-winning 39,000 square foot court facility previously designed by Spillis Candela. The new second story addition complements the existing facility and addresses the judiciary’s need for more space by creating four judicial suites and staff areas and providing covered parking below. Recently, we were retained for the third time to provide security upgrades, minor interior plan reconfigurations and an expanded covered entry.

Middlesex Trial Courts Master Plan, Middlesex County, Massachusetts: the planning team of Stull and Lee, AECOM and Justice Planning were chosen to provide Master Planning services for courts system of Middlesex County (Cambridge and Lowell) being the two largest cities. Included in the master planning services are staff and courts projections, review of standards, building evaluations for the existing 16 county courthouses, site planning for one new courthouse and programming for a new probate and family courthouse.  

Palm Beach County Northeast Government Center Master Plan, West Palm Beach, Florida:   we were selected to develop a master plan to house Palm Beach County’s growing governmental space needs in the northern portion of the County. Situated on a 40-acre parcel, the master plan included a variety of governmental functions including individual sites for a new 80,000sf county courthouse, public library, county administrative space, sheriff’s office/public safety building, motor vehicle office, and public parking space.

Supreme Court of Florida, Renovation and Expansion, Tallahassee, Florida:  The Florida Supreme Court is a four-level, 76,000 square foot building and is listed on the National Historic Register. In addition to all architectural and interior design related issues, we also evaluated all engineering systems for current code compliance and functionality. The proposed addition was programmed for ±35,000 square foot of space for the Clerk of Courts and new justices chambers.

United States Courthouse, Albany, Georgia:  Associate Architect, Courts, and Security Consultant for a $9 million facility containing four courtrooms with 92,000 square feet, of which 52,000 square feet is programmed for the courts and other related federal agencies.

United States Courthouse, Birmingham, Alabama:  Design, planning, and programming consultant for this 190,000 square foot courthouse containing 13 courtrooms, associated judicial chambers and administrative office space for the Clerk, U.S. Attorney, U.S. Marshall, and other related federal agencies.

United States Courthouse and Federal Office Building, Ft. Myers, Florida:   This 167,500 square foot Courthouse and Federal Office Building is located in the historic district of Downtown Fort Myers, Florida: The contemporary design strikes a balance with the surrounding historic structures. The six-story Courthouse features an energy-efficient design and is home to 12 courtrooms with judges’ chambers, support spaces and secured parking. The Federal Office Building houses federal agencies including the U.S. District Court, the U.S. Marshall’s Office, the U.S. Attorney, the Public Defender, Probation Offices, Magistrate Courts, Bankruptcy Courts, and Clerk Offices. This project has been recognized and published.

United States Courthouse, Knoxville, Tennessee:  Associate Architect, Interior Designer, and Court Consultant on a 276,000 square foot courthouse containing 7 District courtrooms. The new facility will consolidate various federal agencies currently house in multiple locations. In addition to the 7 district courts, the facility will house Magistrate Courts, Bankruptcy Courts, Clerk of the Court, Probation Offices, the U.S. Marshall and the Public Building Service of GSA. Secure parking for 65 cars will be provided.

United States Courthouse, London, Kentucky:  Design of a new 93,000 square foot courthouse adjacent to an existing historic courthouse. The design projects the image of permanence and dignity befitting a courthouse, a building which is contemporary in character while also complementary to the historic building and site. The new structure includes spaces for U.S. Marshal’s Service, Probation, GSA spaces, judges’ parking, U.S. District Clerk’s offices, Jury Assembly, Grand Jury, U.S. Attorney and FBI, Magistrate Courtroom, the Magistrate Judge’s Chamber, the Appellate Judge’s Chamber, a law library, two District Courtrooms, two District Judges’ chambers, holding areas, and support spaces. An outdoor plaza unites the two structures and creates a civic center.

United States Courthouse, Miami, Florida:  A master plan for a new 192,000 square foot courthouse and renovation of the historic Federal Courthouse and Post Office Building was the first step in Miami’s Government Center. The new 12-story tower houses nine courtrooms and judicial chambers, and two 3-story wings which contain the offices of the Clerk, the U.S. Marshall, the Public Defender, jury operations, a law library, and an 84-car secure parking structure. The design features separate circulation patterns and an adroit use of windows to permit natural light into this highly secure facility. It is one of few GSA projects completed on time and within budget, while still exceeding the GSA energy efficiency guidelines. It has become a standard for GSA court facility design and has been recognized and published.

United States Courthouse, Minneapolis, Minnesota:  Participated in joint venture on the competitive design-build proposal for the design of the new courthouse. Project consisted of 444,250 square foot, (302,080 square foot useable) with 20 courtrooms on a site directly across from the historical City Hall Building.

United States Courthouse, Montgomery, Alabama:  Associate Architect, Interior Designer, and Security Consultant for a new courthouse which will contain 330,600 square feet of which 186,000 square feet is occupied with 14 courtrooms. Project will be adjacent to and connect with the existing historic courthouse where many of the major civil rights decisions of the 1960’s became law.  Project received many design awards and was published extensively.

Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Federal Courthouse, Montgomery, Alabama: historic courthouse was totally retrofitted to house several government Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA’s), the Bankruptcy Courts and the Appellate Courts. Careful consideration was given to melding the two buildings, built almost 70 years apart, into a united complex. The historic building was the location of many historic civil rights decisions rendered in the 1960’s.

United States Courthouse Old Foley Square, New York, New York:  Associate Architect, Value Engineer team member, Courts Consultant, and Quality Control Specialist for complete retrofit of the historic 1930’s Cass Gilbert landmark. The building contains 611,000 square feet, of which 313,300 square feet is occupied and houses 42 courtrooms.

United States Courthouse, Richmond, Virginia:  Joint venture partner on a completely phased retrofit of existing 1850’s historic courthouse building that sits at the foot of the hill occupied by Virginia state capitol building. Building contains 194,000 square feet, of which 105,240 square feet is occupied with eight courtrooms.

United States Courthouse, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands:  This 63,000 square foot facility will provide 3 courtrooms, judicial chambers, and office space for other federal agencies. Designing and building on St. Croix focused on accessibility, flexibility and security. Inspired by the island’s rich heritage and beautiful natural surroundings, the building was crafted in a Dutch Colonial style. In addition to the 3 district courtrooms, the building contains three judicial chambers, U.S. Marshall’s offices, U.S, Attorney’s offices, the U.S, Public Defender, a Probation office and other law enforcement agencies.

Four Design Excellence Competitions for Federal Courthouses: we have participated in design excellence competitions for four Federal Courthouses located around the country, 1. Springfield, Massachusetts with Stull and Lee of Boston; 2. Mobile, Alabama with Garrison Siegel of New York City; 3. Beckley, West Virginia as the design architect and 4. Greenville, South Carolina as the design architect—our associate was Betsch and Associates of Greenville, S.C.

Palm Beach County Historical Courthouse, West Palm Beach, Florida: this Historic 1920’s county courthouse was totally restored to its original configuration by eliminating 3 additions added over the years. The historic courtroom was rebuilt by utilizing old photographs, some drawings and newspaper articles containing photographs. Today, the courtroom is used for public and private ceremonies, investitures and graduations while the remainder of the building is used for county administration.

Conversion of the Whittle Corporate Headquarters Building in Knoxville, Tennessee: we were tasked by GSA with providing a building evaluation for the headquarters of the Whittle Corporation, a major publishing company, to ascertain if it could be converted into a twenty first century Federal Courthouse. The building sat on a very prominent site in downtown Knoxville and was for sale at the time. Our study proved that it could be converted into a Federal Courthouse and it eventually was.

United States Courthouse, Youngstown, Ohio: we provided the early planning, programming and conceptual design for a new Federal Courthouse to be located in downtown Youngstown. The new facility will house three district courtrooms, three judicial chambers, offices for the clerk, court administration, U.S. Attorney, U.S. Public Defender and U.S. Marshal in 65,000sf of space.

Queens Civil Court, Queens, New York: a team member for a value engineering study performed on a 228,900sf—20 courtroom courthouse designed by Perkins Eastman of New York City.

Rockland County Courthouse, New City, New York: we provided programming and courts design consulting for a new 9 courtroom-160,000sf addition that attached to the historic Rockland County Courthouse. Perkins Eastman of New York City was the architect for the project.      

Volusia County Administration Center, DeLand, Florida:  This four-story, 168,000 square foot, L-shaped office building is home to most of Volusia County agencies and departments, the County Council, and various other municipal government entities. The building’s focal point is a full-height rotunda which connects the two wings of each floor and serves also as the vertical circulation element.

Rockville District Court, Rockville, Maryland: in joint venture, we were the programmer, planner and design architect for a new 159,725sf; $45.4 million district court building. The new courthouse will include space for 9 courtrooms of the District Court of Maryland and court related agencies, including judicial staff, administrative staff, clerks, commissioners, detention staff, the Montgomery Sheriff’s Department, the public defender and the Department of General Services.

Louis Boublitz District Courthouse, Hagerstown, Maryland: J In joint venture, we designed the new 28,000sf-2 courtroom facility located in the center of Hagerstown’s historic district. All materials used on the exterior of the building conformed to the strict guidelines established by the city.

47^th District Courthouse, Farmington Hills, Michigan: in association, we provided the planning, programming and architectural design for a new 46,000sf—4 courtroom facility that directly connects to the existing Farmington Hills Police Station.

Dare County Government and Courthouse Master Plan, Manteo, North Carolina: we provided site selection, an existing building evaluation of their Historic Courthouse, and design options for a new four courtroom addition to the Historic courthouse. The total square footage proposed for the Dare County Government site is +/- 155,000sf.

Collier County Courthouse and Parking Garage, Naples, Florida:  A 110,000-120,000 square foot Courthouse addition providing space for the Court Administration, Clerk of Courts, Public Defender, State Attorney, and the Courts. The project also includes a 900-car garage and an addition to the existing energy plant.

West Dade Government Center Master Plan, Miami, Florida:  Master planning a 19-acre government center that contained courts, library, administration facilities, and fire station.

Calgary Courts Centre, Calgary in the Province of Alberta, Canada:  As part of an international consortium of developers, contractors, architects, building operators and financial institutions our firm provided comprehensive court planning and design services for the Calgary Courts Centre. Located in downtown Calgary, the project consists of a 26-story, 1,012,000 square foot high-rise courthouse, the renovation of the two story historic Court of Appeals, an underground parking garage, and the creation of a generous new urban park. Designed around a dramatic full height atrium, the courts tower provides distinct images for the Provincial Court, the Court of Queen’s Bench, and the Court of Appeal while housing 73 courtrooms, 128 judicial chambers, Court Clerk and Registry offices, two law libraries, extensive ADR/JDR facilities, a cafeteria, counsel facilities, and prisoner processing and holding areas.

Clay County Courthouse, Green Cove Springs, Florida:  we were recently selected to provide full architectural and engineering design services for the $19 million Clay County Courthouse expansion and remodel. The project includes a new, 89,000 square foot addition to house eight new courtrooms, judges’ chambers, and support space. Renovation work will include re-skinning portions of the existing 74,000 square foot courthouse and a two-story parking deck.

Mecklenburg County Courthouse Master Plan, Charlotte, North Carolina: our responsibilities were to develop several site concepts for a new mid to high-rise courthouse on an existing site in downtown Charlotte. The existing site already housed three major justice facilities and needed to accommodate a fourth. The scheme chosen was a high rise scheme that not only tied into the existing award winning 1960’s courthouse but allowed for future expansion. The new courthouse addition had to house an additional 39 courtrooms.

Criminal Justice Complex Master Plan, St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands:  Developed a master plan to meet the needs of a fully functioning criminal justice system in the Virgin Islands. A major component of the plan was the interrelationship of all components.

Coleman Federal Correctional Complex includes a Federal Correctional Institution Low Security (FCIL), a Federal Correctional Institution Medium Security (FCIM), a Minimum Security Women’s Prison Camp (FPC) and space for two future 1,000 bed Maximum Security Penitentiaries in Coleman, Florida:  The FCIL will contain 450,000 square foot and accommodate 1,500 beds in three separate housing units. Support spaces are arranged in functional groupings relative to the core building forming the perimeter of an inner courtyard. The FCIM will house 1,200 beds in 400,000 square foot of space and the Prison Camp will house 500 female inmates in 200,000 square foot of space. When the total complex is built out , there will be over 5,000 beds in approximately  1,850,000 square foot of space. Project has won many design awards and has been published extensively.

Immigration and Naturalization Services, Krome North Service Processing Center, Miami, Florida:  A design-build, 43,000 square foot, 200-bed minimum security addition for the male detention facility. The Krome North Processing Center is a directly supervised, minimum security facility utilized by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) for the temporary detention of immigrants with cases pending before INS. A 22,000 square foot addition to the existing detention center includes a new 102-bed women’s dormitory, a visitor’s center with related parking, and an activity area. Situated to form one side of a future courtyard, the building was designed to relate in vocabulary and massing to other recent additions, and begin to give the multi-building complex more the feel of a campus than a correctional center.

Juvenile Justice Center, St. Croix, Unites States Virgin Islands:  This 10,500 square foot, 16-room, minimum security facility is located in downtown Charlotte Amalie and houses a small live-in staff, 10 inmates on a day-time work release, and six lock-down juveniles.

Charlotte County Jail, Punta Gorda, Florida:  A new 147,000 square foot, 528-bed (operating capacity) direct supervision correctional facility, including intake/booking areas, a food service area, a medical ward, jail administration, and a segregated juvenile detention area.

Prince George’s County Correctional Center, Upper Marlboro, Maryland:  Architectural and engineering services for the expansion and renovation of one of the first direct supervision correctional facilities in the country. This 150,000 square foot project involves the addition of two 192-bed maximum security housing units; construction of a new processing center; conversion of existing areas to handle new functions, expansion of the medical unit and reception areas, and installation of a new security system

Volusia County Administration Complex Master Plan, DeLand, Florida:  A four-story 168,000 square foot “County Headquarters” was master planned for a 4-acre urban site. The facility includes council chambers, public service spaces, and offices for administrative bodies of the county government. An urban park with a water feature was incorporate into the project for public use.

St. Johns County Administration Center Master Plan, St. Augustine, Florida:  This 12-acre site was master planned for a new Courthouse and County Administration Center located immediately adjacent to the county jail. The first phase called for a 136,000 square foot County Courthouse with eight courtrooms and support space for States Attorney, Public Defender, Clerk, and Sheriff. Project was master planned to expand to 235,000 square feet which will be accomplished through a second phase.

St. John’s County Historic Courthouse, St. Augustine, Florida: we completed a comprehensive building evaluation study for the existing 1888 historic courthouse, initially designed and built as the Cordova Hotel. The study was commissioned to ascertain a reference base for making future planning decisions. Constitutional officers, other than court related personnel, would be housed in the historic structure.

West Dade Government Center Master Plan, Miami, Florida:  Master planning a 19-acre government center that contained courts, library, administration facilities, and fire station.

Collier County Government Center Master Plan, Collier County, Florida:  The Collier County Government Center is a campus consisting of 16 county buildings including the courthouse, administration building, health services building, sheriff’s administration, and jail. There is a total of 560,000 square feet on this main campus. This study involves a thorough evaluation of the architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical components of each of these structures.

Juno Beach City Hall and Police Station, Juno Beach, Florida:  Master planning, architecture, engineering, and interior design services for a multipurpose city government facility which includes City Hall, administration offices, and the City’s main police station. The police station includes police chief’s office, assistant chief’s office, detective offices, squad rooms, prisoner interview room, prisoner conference room, prisoner holding cells, men’s and women’s lockers rooms, and an exercise room. The building was designed to accommodate future growth.

Cape Coral City Hall Complex, Cape Coral, Florida:  A 91,000 square foot, 2-story civic building master planned adjacent to the existing facility. The building includes a 250-seat City Council chamber and auditorium, Mayor’s office, City Clerk, City Attorney and City Manager offices, community development, and other related city functions. The facility also is master planned to include a 350-car garage for staff and visitors in a subsequent phase.

Annapolis District Court, Annapolis, Maryland:  Master planning 73,600 square foot Phase I court building which will house four courtrooms, five judges chambers, and support spaces for the Seventh District Court South County Operations.

United States Court of Claims, Lafayette Square, Washington, DC: as a part of a very historic restoration and in-fill project, the new Court of Claims building illustrated how a sensitive, successful historic restoration and addition meets the growing needs of the Federal Government. Meeting the residential scale and expression of the buildings along Presidential Park while fitting in a 267,300sf courthouse and a 470,000sf Executive Office Building, proved to be a difficult design challenge.

Third District Court of Appeal. Miami, Florida: the State of Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal is designed to take advantage of its location through an open central courtyard and skylights which take in the abundant Florida sunshine. This award winning 47,825sf facility features an appellate courtroom, eight judicial chambers, a law library, conferences rooms and offices for the clerk of the court and the state marshals, Complete architectural, engineering and interior design services were provided for the courthouse. This appellate courthouse, commissioned in the mid 1970’s was the first courthouse designed by the firm of Ferendino Grafton Spillis Candela.