The San Antonio Federal Courthouse, which opened earlier this year, replaces a courthouse that had been constructed as a pavilion for the 1968 World’s Fair. Serving the Western District of Texas—a 93,000-square-mile area stretching from San Antonio to El Paso—the new 228,000-square-foot Courthouse aims to serve as both a safe, secure facility and a welcoming public presence.
Designed by Lake|Flato Architects in association with Alta Architects (formerly Munoz & Company), the San Antonio Federal Courthouse sits two blocks from the historic city center. For 12 years, the design team worked with the City of San Antonio, the General Service Administration, and several federal agencies to design a facility that both represents the civic importance of a new federal courthouse and captures San Antonio’s cultural identity.
Four feet above the streetscape, the Courthouses rests on a landscaped plinth of native plants that reference the site’s agrarian history, while reinforcing the structure’s significance for the community. The eight courtrooms create an expression on the building’s facade, placing judicial leadership on metaphorical display. Visitors ramp up past a tree-covered landscape to the entry portal.
Inside, visitors enter the central atrium, which is overlooked by courtroom lobby balconies. Great stairs lead visitors and potential jurors up to the jury assembly. Clerestories, skylights, and dormers create an inviting, light-filled environment. Within the courtrooms, clearstory windows over the judge’s bench let in natural light, representing the idea of judicial transparency.
On track to achieving LEED Gold certification, the Courthouse has a compact footprint. Its energy-efficient and resource-conserving strategies reduce energy costs by 21% and provide an indoor water savings of 30%. The facility also features two electric vehicle charging stations.
On the Building Team:
Design architect: Lake|Flato Architects
Construction administration and landscape architect: Alta Architects (formerly Munoz & Company)
Design-build contractor: Brasfield & Gorrie
Design-build architect: SLAM Collaborative
Mechanical/plumbing engineer: Integral Group
Electrical/lighting engineer: CNG Engineering
Structural engineer: Datum Engineers
Survey/civil engineer: Pape-Dawson Engineers
Related Stories
| Sep 21, 2010
New BOMA-Kingsley Report Shows Compression in Utilities and Total Operating Expenses
A new report from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International and Kingsley Associates shows that property professionals are trimming building operating expenses to stay competitive in today’s challenging marketplace. The report, which analyzes data from BOMA International’s 2010 Experience Exchange Report® (EER), revealed a $0.09 (1.1 percent) decrease in total operating expenses for U.S. private-sector buildings during 2009.
| Sep 21, 2010
Forecast: Existing buildings to earn 50% of green building certifications
A new report from Pike Research forecasts that by 2020, nearly half the green building certifications will be for existing buildings—accounting for 25 billion sf. The study, “Green Building Certification Programs,” analyzed current market and regulatory conditions related to green building certification programs, and found that green building remain robust during the recession and that certifications for existing buildings are an increasing area of focus.
| Sep 21, 2010
Middough Inc. Celebrates its 60th Anniversary
Middough Inc., a top ranking U.S. architectural, engineering and management services company, announces the celebration of its 60th anniversary, says President and CEO, Ronald R. Ledin, PE.
| Sep 16, 2010
Green recreation/wellness center targets physical, environmental health
The 151,000-sf recreation and wellness center at California State University’s Sacramento campus, called the WELL (for “wellness, education, leisure, lifestyle”), has a fitness center, café, indoor track, gymnasium, racquetball courts, educational and counseling space, the largest rock climbing wall in the CSU system.
| Sep 13, 2010
Community college police, parking structure targets LEED Platinum
The San Diego Community College District's $1.555 billion construction program continues with groundbreaking for a 6,000-sf police substation and an 828-space, four-story parking structure at San Diego Miramar College.
