November 7th, 2014 | 9:25am – 10:40am | J. Richard Davidson, AIA
ABSTRACT
The Honorable Steven C. Teske, Chief Judge of the Juvenile Court of Clayton County (Georgia) is one of the leading voices for reform of our juvenile justice system. Judge Teske regularly speaks nationally and has written extensively regarding the need for reform in our juvenile justice system based upon the positive measured results that have been achieved in his court over the last decade.
When the citizen’s of the county voted to fund a new courthouse to house the juvenile court; Judge Teske held a clear vision that architecture could and should support the principles and values of restorative justice. Further, he advanced the idea that the facility should be something other than a typical courthouse, and must be designed to foster involvement of family and community in the process of healing the youth remanded to the court.
The Clayton County Juvenile Court, designed by Rick Davidson while with KSGW Architects; photo courtesy of JandDImages
The Clayton County Juvenile Court, designed by Rick Davidson while with KSGW Architects; photo courtesy of JandDImages
DISCUSSION
What are the principles advanced by Judge Teske that directly relate to the design of the Clayton County Juvenile Courthouse?
Collaboration in a Multi‐Integrated Systems Approach:
Enhance Delivery of Service;
Increase Stakeholder Participation and Interchange of Information;
Increase Staff Responsiveness to User Needs;
Continuous Delivery of Message of Positive Youth Development;
Minimize Trauma and Stress;
Adjudication as the Last Resort
What are the key concepts that achieve an open and less formidable courthouse design than traditional ones?
Non-Traditional Look:
The building has a simply detailed and highly‐transparent public face designed to look more like an office building than a courthouse. Where the existing building entrance has “courthouse steps” and large vertical columns topped with a pediment façade harkening back to our neo‐classical based early courthouses; the juvenile courthouse utilizes horizontal forms (sunscreens) at the entrance to purposefully counter the more “formidable” and formal adjacent criminal court.
Light, Transparency and Views to the Exterior:
This concept serves to enhance the openness of the courthouse and is significant in creating a calmer and more productive work environment. The building is designed to allow direct views and natural light into all spaces with the exception of the courtrooms and holding areas. The building has been carved away on the north facing building face to allow direct views to the courtyard(s) from all public circulation and major meeting spaces. All staff work and meeting spaces have access to natural light and views to the outside.
What are the programmatic re-organization strategies that are significant to the design of the Clayton County Juvenile Courthouse?
A key decision was made early in preliminary design to re‐program the building in such a way to foster delivery of services as directly to the users as possible. This meant delivery of services and interface with the families and users might be delivered directly in the homes and community as well as having a the staff go to a single area in the building in order to meet with users and stakeholders rather than users go to “departments” buried within the building.This led directly to re‐organizing the program to house all non‐supervisory staff in open‐office suites that are multi‐departmental. Further, all meeting and conference rooms (with the exception of mediation suites) were relocated to the first floor with small and large meeting spaces available in a “hotel meeting space” type of arrangement. Technology was utilized (virtual desktops systems on all laptops with an enhanced wi‐fi system) that would allow a staff person to literally pick up their laptop and meet their user/customer in a first floor meeting and continue accessing important files and databases without missing a beat.
Lastly the building was re‐organized to move all staff providers and public spaces to the first and second levels which would have both visual access (open lobby to both levels) and connections via elevator and monumental stairs. Thus, the courtrooms, chambers and mediation suites were all located on the third and fourth levels only accessible via controlled elevators. This was done to further demonstrate the collaboration and healing of youth where possible and the court as the last resort only when absolutely necessary.
What are the design concept/strategies that create easily understandable and traversable spaces that foster a calm and productive work environment?
Many strategies that lead to a clear and understandable building are embedded in the above concepts. But in addition to views to the exterior, daylight, a simple organization limiting public movement to the minimum amount (public no need go further than first floor unless going to a courtroom); the design utilizes a single public spine (in the same location on all floors) with views to the exterior and a single private/secure spine for the movement of staff.
November 4th, 2014