Crawford County Judicial Center

Crawford County Commissioners

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CLIENT GOALS

Since the 1954 renovation of the original County Courthouse, the county government workforce had grown and needed additional space and adequate security to better serve the county.

SOLUTIONS

The design team carefully documented all existing spaces and support areas and synthesized a new program of desired spaces, adjacencies, and support requirements for each department. Multiple schemes were created for discussion with constituencies, and public presentations were prepared for community input, consensus building, and buy-in. With the involvement of a community taskforce the County reached a decision to construct a new judicial center for court functions, a new public safety center, and phased renovations to the existing Courthouse, all within a defined budget.

RESULTS

Phase One included the construction of a four-story, 60,000 SF Judicial Center annex to house the Court of Common Pleas. The new facility addressed the Commissioners concerns of size and cost, safety, and technology. The building includes 3 full-size courtrooms with related offices, and offices for the Clerk of Courts, Prothonotary, Sheriff, and District Attorney. Secured circulation routes were provided at all levels of the building to separate user groups (witnesses, defendants, judges, etc.) and restrict access to sensitive areas. Special features include an interior sally port for secured prisoner transport, central command with complete audio/visual monitoring capabilities, and individual and group holding cells. The overall facility incorporated blast and ballistic-rated assemblies where necessary. The project was completed under budget and two months ahead of schedule.