Successful Year Bodes Well for AAJ in 2008
by Frank Greene, FAIA
The Sixth International Conference on Courthouse
Design proved to be spirited and inspiring. From the brilliant
choice of conference site to the insightful presentations,
attendees benefited from a rich source of material for this
courts-only conference. The Justice Facilities Review
(JFR) Awards Banquet has become an annual highlight, while
the JFR itself continues to improve in quality as a showcase for
the best practices in justice design.
Our 2007 and 2008 conference themes, focusing on sustainable
design, indicate how seriously we view the new challenges
that we face in our practices. The unique operational and ownership
characteristics of our building types require a tailored approach
to sustainable design as well as consideration of a broader
definition of sustainability to encompass the social dimension. For
2008, we have launched a new committee, cleverly titled the
Sustainable Justice Committee, with Susan Oldroyd, AIA, as
chair.
 Read the full letter
Police Service Brings '70s-Era Building into the 21st
Century
by Peter Ortved
The London (Ontario) Police Service (LPS), built in 1974 and
expanded in 1990, was functional for the mid-size city it
served, but the LPS had long since outgrown the facility. The
investigation and training requirements to meet present-day
policing needs could not be met. The 30-year-old design also
reflected an outdated approach to policing and significantly
limited the staff's ability to fully address community needs. The
challenges of a new expansion, to be completed in early
2009, offer some lessons that are typical of facilities of
that era.
Read the full article
JFR07 Featured Law Enforcement Facility: Rio
Grande Valley Sector Headquarters, Edinburg, Tex.
HDR
This project is the first phase of a planned development in
Edinburg, Tex., for a federal law enforcement agency. Designed to
create a strong sense of community and pedestrian scale, the
various departments were arranged in three buildings around a
central courtyard. Extended roof overhangs at the perimeter provide
interest and comfortable circulation for pedestrians. Stationary
horizontal sunscreens over glazing reflect light into interior
office areas and minimize heat gain. Open and private office areas
are fully integrated, maximizing penetration of natural light and
promoting efficient interaction between departments.
Read the full article
The Ever-Larger Jail
by Michael E. Retford, AIA
As little as 15 years ago, a 500-bed detention facility was
considered a large project. Ten years ago, we started to see
projects in the 1,000- to 2,000-bed size. Today we are seeing
projects in the 4,000- to 6,000-bed range. The trends that drive
detention-facility sizehave remained the same: the ever-increasing
demand for beds and a desire to significantly increase the
operational efficiency of core support services. What forces have
driven the growth of facilities to such sizes? Will the trend
continue? At some point, do larger and larger facilities become
unmanageable?
Read the full article
JFR06 Featured Corrections Facility: Pima
County Jail Expansion
DMJM
The facility is fast becoming a local, regional, and national
resource as a showcase of how operations and design can come
together to create an environment that affects behavior of inmates
and staff alike. For example, the design of the booking area has
contributed to more thana 90 percent reduction in
inmate-on-staff assaults in its first year. The new booking
area employs a video arraignment room and other
efficiency-enhancing features. The project also consolidated and
upgraded the life-safety and electronic security systems, reporting
to a new central control room using touch-screen panels. The
project was conducted in two major phases over three years,
allowing construction during the operation of the 24-hour essential
facility.
Read the full
article
The Courthouse Entrance:
Collision of Function and Symbol
by Susan K. Oldroyd, AIA
Functional requirements have changed the image of courthouse
entrances: some elements established as symbols of justice
architecture are no longer appropriate archetypes. New facilities
must be designed to encourage egalitarian justice while still
presenting an image of authority. Architects must consider both
function and symbolism, creating secure facilities that represent
democracy and openness.
The requirements that have changed most in the past decade
result from new thinking in the fields of accessibility and
security. The mission of courthouses has changed, placing higher
importance on family court services, self-help (pro per), and
family law facilitators and mediators. Courthouse users are more
likely to be unfamiliar with the court system and building, and
less likely to be a regular visitor, i.e. an attorney or staff.
Architects must develop a more appropriate, open, user-focused
image for a modern courthouse entrance.
Read the full article
JFR07 Featured Courthouse:
D.C. Courthouse, Washington, D.C.
Beyer Blinder Belle
This project will restore an unused National Historic Landmark
courthouse (originally designed by George Hadfield in 1820,
completed in 1849, and reconstructed in 1917) to its previous
grandeur. The new court, through its renovation and addition, will
house the high court of the District of Columbia and help
to revitalize the surrounding area known as Judiciary Square.
Although modern, its design harmonizes with the historic structure
while incorporating space for state-of-the-art security screening
and a fully accessible route of entry to the facility, in
compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Read the full article
Programming and Designing a 911 Call Center
by Jeffrey R. Sheppard, AIA
This article focuses on the process of programming and designing
a 911 call center. To understand the factors that influenced the
design of this project , four topics are explored in detail:
- Developing a holistic program
- Developing a strong "parti" diagram
- Uncovering the design opportunities in an existing
building
- Montage and bricolage, integrating old and new
Read the full article
JFR06 Featured Mixed-Use Facility:
Seattle Fire Station 10
Weinstein Architects RDC
Seattle requires sustainable design on all of its projects, and
this project has undertaken that challenge with a goal of a silver
LEED-equivalent design. The design also incorporates the principles
of universal design. As a building type, a fire station is
sentinel. It is a civic symbol and operational infrastructure. The
watchful, anticipatory nature of firefighting is balanced by the
symbolic and starkly functional requirements of the program.
Housing people, equipment, and technology in equal parts, an urban
fire station is a civic symbol anchored by the austerity of
function, and it is a key symbolic and physical component in the
city’s network of safety.
Read the full
article
American Correctional Association
2008 Winter Conference, "Work Force: The Heart of
Corrections"
January 11–16, 2008 (exhibits January 13–15, 2008)
Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center, Grapevine, Tex.
www.aca.org/Conferences/Winter08/home.asp
National Association of Court Managers
2008 Midyear Conference, “Public Perceptions,
Community Collaboration and Funding of the Courts”
March 9–11, 2008
Charleston, S.C.
www.nacmnet.org/conferences.html
American Jail Association
27th Annual Training Conference & Jail Expo
May 4–8, 2008
Sacramento
www.aja.org/aja/conferences/annual_expo.shtml
International Association of Chiefs of Police
115th Annual Conference
November 8–12, 2008
San Diego
www.theiacpconference.org/
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