THE BAMBOO COURTROOM

Design for a civil courtroom and supporting spaces.

For this design our team took inspiration from the material; bamboo. We wanted to use a material that conveyed the richness & warmth of the dark wood of a traditional courtroom without the heaviness or formality.

The court furniture has a very permanent appearance, as if it has grown from the floor. All of the furniture is cohesive in order to encourage level, equitable conversation.

The bamboo is also used to create dramatic entrances from the judge and jury chambers. The courtroom itself is set several steps lower than the supporting spaces, creating a strong thresh old. This transition out of the courtroom allows for a mental separation between the court and deliberation rooms.

Our design uses unconventional materials and organic lines to remove the hierarchy from the court in pursuit of equality in justice.

The court support spaces are arranged according to their public/private access and to ensure that each party has their own circulation in and out of the courtroom.