r e s o u r c e s concrete pavement : TXI Operations LP; porous paving : A&A
Construction Co.; irrigation :
earthwork :
Waddell Excavating Inc.;
landscape
Complete Landsculpture; precast architectural concrete :
Meridian Pre-Cast;
concrete restor ation and cle aning :
Western
Waterproofing Co.; masonry units : Accurate Masonry; metal decking : Nucor Vulcraft Group; building insulation : Crown Corr Inc., ductwork insulation: Way Engineering; specialty doors : Overhead Door Company of Fort Worth; gypsum board framing and accessories : LRL Enterprises, Inc.; exterior sun control devices : Barber & Assoc CWC Inc.; access flooring :
Hudson Building Systems;
Integrated Systems Inc.;
security and audio visual :
blinds , shutters , shades :
EO
Barber & Assoc
CWC Inc.; pews and benches : Church Interiors Inc.
The new space was completed and occupied first, allowing courts to be relocated from elsewhere in the existing building and from other facilities. This created enough swing space to allow the existing building to be renovated while remaining in operation. Though the original plan called for the renovations to be completed on a floor-by-floor basis, the renovations were eventually done two floors at a time for increased efficiency. Interior finishes in the common areas of the renovated space are identical to those used in the addition, and the result is a relatively seamless integration of old and new. Floors and wall base are surfaced in three colors of terrazzo tile; walls and ceiling coffers are finished in a uniform soft white, and the same white marble used in the original construction is used in new spaces. The architects located the original marble source in Vermont, and convinced the quarry to reopen the vein from which the stone for the existing building had been taken. The marble was shipped to Italy for fabrication, and then returned to the U.S. for installation. As on the original building, marble was used on both interior and exterior. The original entry was modest, with only a small lobby, and when five hundred prospective jurors arrived on Monday mornings they would often be forced to queue out the door and down the street. The new entrance is on axis with Philip Johnson’s John F. Kennedy Memorial, and the facade provides a monumentally scaled face to that significant urban landmark. Within the new glass-enclosed double-height lobby, four security stations provide screening of the large volume of visitors. All of the courtrooms in both new and renovated areas are provided with a full complement of audiovisual technology. The sources are projected via built-in equipment onto a large screen oriented for the jury, and on desktop monitors for the attorneys, judge, court reporter, and witness stand. This system has proved so successful that jurists for the county criminal courts have recently lobbied for the same equipment. The new courtrooms are finished in a palette of cherry-stained birch and fabric-wrapped acoustical panels, with white marble accents. The lighting has multiple pre-sets; in addition to providing settings for witness testimony and for AV presentation, a voir dire configuration puts additional light on the gallery area. Courtrooms in renovated areas remain in their existing configurations, but all finishes were stripped and redone, letting the renovated rooms retain some of their original flavor. Jonathan P. Rollins, AIA, is an associate principal of Good Fulton & Farrell in Dallas.
(this page) The renovation was completed in 2007 and provides 210,000 square feet of new space for the Dallas County civil courts. (opposite page, left) The design provides for increased security with new screening facilities in the entry lobby. (opposite page, right) Renovated courtrooms include warm wood finishes, updated technology, and the same white marble as was used in the original construction.
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