In the Media
Courthouses That Work: Trauma-Informed Design Trends
August 24, 2023One of the last things to come to mind when we think of courthouses is one of the most crucial – courthouses are workplaces.
Read MoreClearwater, FL
86,000-SF New addition / 73,000-SF Renovation
Architecture, planning, and interiors
Courthouse
To make a courthouse a truly healing place, several different and equally important design considerations have to be addressed. Taken together, they create a built environment that promotes a healthy civic life.
When designing to accommodate children and families, the overwhelming and difficult emotions inherent to the courthouse experience make it even more crucial to create healing, trauma-informed spaces. In the Child and Family Waiting Room, extensive daylighting and views foster a sense of connection with nature, while a blue-green color palette works to provide a calming environment while referencing Florida’s extensive Gulf coastline.
Courtrooms are essential to the justice system, and as such should be places of equity. The need to welcome the public, however, sometimes causes tension with a desire for courtrooms to be dignified spaces. Both of these needs are met through the use of high-end finishes and textural variety. Our design enlists soothing blue-green glass to allow daylight into the room, and a warm, playful wood texture throughout. The saturation of color and daylight brings a sense of lighthearted hospitality to a room that might otherwise feel enclosed and intimidating.
It’s all too easy to forget that our civic buildings are also workplaces. Like any other workplace, the people who serve daily within these spaces deserve an environment that reflects their status and contributes to their health and wellness. Views to the outdoors and shared daylighting provide an engaging connection to nature.
Just as workspaces within a courthouse draw on trends in workplace design, public gathering spaces throughout the courthouse draw inspiration from the hospitality sector. A consistent color palette, comfortable seating options that allow for a variety of private and group contemplation, and connection to the world outside all remain crucially employed throughout the Annex. These spaces, which connect the Annex to the original Courthouse, also serve as vital symbols of the centralization of civic life that makes justice more accessible to the communities the courthouse serves.
The Pinellas County Family Court Annex exemplifies what it means to bring to civic life cutting-edge, evidence-based designs that care for the traumas of those who enter this public space.
One of the last things to come to mind when we think of courthouses is one of the most crucial – courthouses are workplaces.
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