Celebrating the Courthouse

摘要

There are almost as many ways to design a good courthouse as one that is less than satisfactory. Celebrating the Courthouse provides practical experience and wisdom that will help those who come to a courthouse project without much previous experience quickly learn what opportunities and special problems are presented by this type of project. The book unites the skills and experience of architects, judges, administrators and lawyers to guide the design of this complex building type. It illuminates the subject for the diverse professionals and laypeople who plan and create courthouses, as well as discloses issues that must be addressed to achieve an effective and satisfying building. Because we live in a diverse design world and courthouse programs are specific and distinct from one another, no attempt is made to prescribe a particular program for any model courthouse project. Rather, the distinguished contributors lay out a variety of solutions that can help solve problems confronted in particular settings. Considering historical precedent, context, functional requirements, and public and client needs, they focus on the best practices in design and also upon some design failures, addressing the pitfalls presented by courthouse programs which are among the most complex that architects face. Finally, they look at the technological revolution and the future of courthouse design.