The Red Hook Community Justice Center is in a once abandoned 1908 parochial school in an economically depressed urban neighborhood. The exterior was restored and the interior totally reworked to meet the requirements of an ambitious program. Decisions were carefully made in keeping with a modest budget. The 26,000-square-foot structures is now a state-of-the-art courthouse with one multi-jurisdictional courtroom and spaces for more than a dozen social service organizations "including both city agencies and local service providers" that are available to any resident of the community.
Of great importance to the design team was the idea of an "approachable" court. Materials were chose to reinforce this idea, and it was a priority to allow as much natural light into the interior as possible. Unobtrusive handicapped access was also a priority. The design of the main entrance was a challenge. To make an entry lobby at sidewalk level, an area of the first floor was demolished and re-framed at a lower elevation. The sidewalk was re-graded to meet the new lobby floor.
The Red Hook Community Justice Center was designed around an innovative program that melds the demands of processing nonviolent misdemeanor cases with supporting the community in other ways. With a single judge, the court hears family, housing, and criminal cases. The court looks for outcomes that solve problems, combining community service payback with social services, mediation, and careful monitoring. It is the first multi-jurisdictional community court in the country.
