Designing 21st Century Courts with Access to Justice and User Experience in Mind
This piece was originally written as a contribution for the Thomson Reuters Institute.
Courthouses in the United States are often historic structures located centrally, and constructed of stone with Neoclassical features such as columns or domes. These iconic buildings, numbering over 35,000 listed in the National Register of Historic Places have long been symbols of civic pride and the importance of the justice system. As historic courthouses become functionally obsolete for continued use, architects are exploring designs that emphasize inclusivity and access to justice.
Common themes across three recently opened justice centers in Michigan and California, and a forthcoming one in Colorado include flexibility and inclusivity in design, building for the technological and space needs for the future, and incorporating design elements that promote safety and ease anxiety for all courtroom visitors and employees.
Charles A. Pratt Justice Center, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Photo credit: MLive.com
The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners aimed for a bright, welcoming experience in the Charles A. Pratt Justice Center,which opened in late 2023. Designed by TowerPinkster and HOK, the 165,000 SF facility consolidated operations from three separate facilities, including an historic courthouse. The new center enhances user experience with a well-lit atrium that eases entry and diminishes the intimidation of security checkpoints. Airport-style message boards and ample wayfinding assist visitors in navigating the space. Public lobbies and the juror assembly room offer various seating options, water bottle filling stations, and charging ports. Modern high-speed elevators replace early 20th century ones, and the juror assembly room includes quiet space and a lactation room for comfort.
Dignity and safety were top priorities in the building design, with technological connectivity enabling more virtual hearings, an increase of approximately 25% in recent years. In-person appearances for in-custody defendants now feature enhanced safety and privacy during transport, using secure entry and private elevators shielded from public view. Clear sightlines and passive security elements like landscape berms and stone walls enhance safety without compromising the welcoming atmosphere, adhering to modern courthouse design standards.
Functionally, the center expands access to justice through four public terminals providing free access to State and County case management systems. Self-help legal resources that direct users to common statutes more readily provides existing resources to users. The facility also houses a booth for indigent defense resources and a standalone housing resource office for individuals facing eviction or foreclosure. These design elements, particularly placed in prominent and accessible locations, send a clear message that the facility is centered around finding positive solutions for users.
El Centro Courthouse, El Centro, California
Photo credit: Jim Brady Architectural Photography
Safdie Rabines Architects aimed to create comfort in the harsh desert surroundings of El Centro, California with the design of El Centro Courthouse, opened in January 2024. The 48,000 SF facility consolidated operations from two separate buildings, including a historic 1923 courthouse. Similar to the Charles A. Pratt Justice Center, it features self-help resources, integrated audio-video technology, and separate transport options for in-custody defendants.
The courthouse design is starkly non-institutional -- instead a surprisingly warm and bright space – addressing the stressful nature of judicial proceedings. Architectural stone elements, warm wood accents, and ample natural light enhance the comfortability of the space. Two interior courtyards in the project footprint allow for the public and staff to spend time outside without leaving the secure premises and ensure that more offices have natural lighting. Security elements, such as large boulders, blend with natural surroundings. North-facing windows maximize natural light, while reducing solar heat gain. The LEED Silver certified building prioritizes energy efficiency and water-conscious plumbing, mindful of water shortages Southern California routinely faces.
Home to the County’s new Collaborative Justice Court (CJC) program, the CJC aims to find alternatives to incarceration in the hopes of reducing recidivism. Participants can utilize the Veteran’s Court, Drug Court, or Mental Health Court programs to address underlying issues, such as combat PTSD, substance use disorders, or mental health issues.
Siskiyou County Courthouse, Yreka, California
Photo Credit: Jeff Amram
The Siskiyou County project replaced one of the oldest operating courthouses in the State of California – an 1857 structure with a 1954 expansion. EHDD Architects sought to not only meet similar security standards as the Kalamazoo and El Centro projects, but also to create a facility which represented support of community members, rather than an imposing or punitive presence in the community. The 67,000 SF, two-story structure fits the surrounding architectural context of the low density historic downtown area. Interestingly, the downtown site was selected over an urban edge site with the intention of this project being a civic landmark for Siskiyou County (pop. 43,660.)
The building now fully meets ADA accessibility standards, whereas the prior 1954 facility required accessible entry from the rear of the building. Access to justice is expanded through an onsite family law facilitator who offers appointments and walk-in services on a daily basis for individuals in need of self-help legal assistance. Both attorneys and members of the public can take advantage of more than three dozen wireless access points in the family law facilitator offices.
A secure, exterior courtyard provides break space for staff members inside the secure premises. Natural light and views of the surrounding Shasta Valley and Siskiyou Mountains, as well as public art installations soften the courtroom experience. Wood is a primary architectural material in the canopy and atrium ceilings, as a nod to Yreka’s historic timber industry. Function was equally important to architectural form for this project – knowing that this courthouse may be operational as long as its historic predecessor – building materials which are responsive to the fluctuating Northern California desert temperatures and with long-term maintenance in-mind also meet LEED Gold standards.
Westminster Municipal Courthouse Project, Westminster, Colorado
The City of Westminster is redesigning its municipal courthouse, aiming to replace the 1960-70s era building, originally a municipal and police facility, in order to prioritize modern safety, security and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.
Led by Anderson Hallas Architects and Reilly Johnson Architecture, the project focuses on flexibility and technology integration to enhance access to justice and keeping pace with the evolution of modern courtroom evidence. Features include enhanced audio systems, For the Record speech-to-text court reporting, and individual displays at every seating position (jurors, counsel tables, gallery, witness stand, and bench) to better convey social media, video, and photo evidence. As the municipality’s first purpose-built courthouse, flexibility in design for future needs is key. Design preferences have included a hearing room designed for future expansion into an additional courtroom as needed, spaces which are multipurpose, such as flexible conference and meeting rooms which are acoustically separated.
Westminster advertised and recruited members for the Municipal Court Replacement Project Community Advisory Team -- representing a diverse cross-section of the community and business owners working with the architects. Members have contributed insights on accessibility, transportation, architectural context, the importance of the facility as a symbol of civic pride, and how public spaces within the project footprint (such as an upgrade of existing playground equipment) can give community members a sense of shared ownership.
Contemporary courthouses across the United States are being designed to address technology and space needs for the future, while also maintaining their presence as symbols of civic pride. These three facilities exemplify this trend with designs which strike a balance between non-institutional-looking facilities that still meet the need for increased security. Community-informed processes and interior design choices reduce the stress and anxiety of court interactions and emphasize that courts are human-centered places where solutions can be sought.
