The Maricopa County Courts are critical to the community’s perception of law and equity. AECOM, together with Gould Evans, helped enhance both the aesthetics and flow/process of the court building. The 680,000-square foot criminal courthouse tower in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, provides a “new image” and front door for the existing county courts complex. It features 14-stories, two of which are below grade.
AECOM worked to understand the spatial impact of current practices and forecasted future impacts to develop a functional facility design that maximized space and fostered efficient workflows.
These courtrooms are designed to provide security, public spaces, provisions for separation of different user groups, holding areas, and multiple floor configurations to accommodate criminal courts in safe, secure facilities that will meet the needs of the superior court for decades. Serving as the hub for an improved campus approach to security and safety, the new court tower, which is LEED certified, includes the following:
- New vehicular sally port and central holding area (up to 1,000 in-custody defendants);
- Campus-wide and building control center;
- Appropriate in-custody holding areas and circulation systems;
- New public/staff entrance; and
- Separate areas for public and restricted uses throughout the building
Awards
- Retrospective of Courthouse Design, National Center for State Courts, 2001-2010