Justice Gets Re-Routted


Photos courtesy of Heery International
Ski aficionados know Steamboat Springs, in Routt County, Colo., is home to world-class skiing on champagne powder, while throngs of visitors from across the world flock to Steamboat’s historic downtown and its architectural reminders of the way the west used to be.


When it became evident that Steamboat’s historic 1920s courthouse could not keep up with the growth of the community, residents grew concerned that a large, modern justice facility would cast a stark shadow across the heart of downtown and Steamboat’s small-town, western allure and quiet identity.


Following a failed vote in 2002, the board of commissioners called town-hall meetings to find solutions that would move the project forward. The decision was made to locate the new justice center on a 5-acre site adjacent to the county jail, two miles west of downtown.


Local rancher and county commissioner Doug Monger is excited about the new courthouse, which was completed in September.


“It’s ironic that I was so involved in this new building,” he says. “My family was here when the original facility was built.”


Seeking to deliver a modern, sustainable interpretation of a classical public building, the design team drew inspiration for the new $13.5 million courthouse from the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape. The design makes extensive use of natural materials, textures and colors, while the expansive use of glass expresses the openness of a public building and enhances the quality of indoor environments.


From the heavy timber structure of the beams and columns in the lobby and grand stairway, to ample use of maple in courtrooms and public areas, the design exudes a ski-lodge aesthetic within a judicial setting — the nearby ski resort can be viewed from the second-floor public balcony.


“I love its openness,” says Evan Herman, district court administrator.


The primary shortcomings of the existing two-courtroom courthouse were a lack of space and nonsegregated circulation, with judges, prisoners, jurors, witnesses, victims and victims’ families all passing through one narrow hallway to access the two courtrooms.






Circulation was one of the greatest challenges in the old courthouse,” Herman says. “I’m so thankful tragedy never struck because it was a recipe for disaster.”


With growing operational demands outstripping facility space, officials often had to be creative when it came to finding locations to accommodate multiple simultaneous court proceedings.


“On one occasion, we conducted jury selection at the local theater,” Herman says. “Over the years, we have held court in just about every meeting space in Steamboat Springs.


“Our district court judges, for example, shared an office,” he says. “If one judge brought attorneys back to their chambers, the other judge was driven from their office.”


Numerous renovations provided only temporary solutions, and scattered wiring from technology upgrades was unsightly and unsafe. In addition, HVAC systems were not designed to suit the facility’s current configuration and staff complained that some parts of the building were cold while others were hot.


In 2001, Heery International was selected as the architect to develop a master plan to expand or replace the existing facility. Early project studies revealed that an expansion or renovation were not viable solutions.


Another consideration was to build on the property adjacent to the existing courthouse. However, the county realized a new building at that location would require additional off-street parking, which pushed the budget higher than initial expectations.


“Most importantly, if we built downtown, we would have been next to an alley,” says Tim Winter, county facilities procurement director. “That would have made us vulnerable to situations like the Oklahoma City bombing.”








A grand staircase is prominently featured to provide a convenient elevator alternative.
Initially, the design team compared the courthouse’s needs to that of a bank headquarters to determine what office and support space was essential and what could be condensed.


“Our goal was to make the space as efficient as possible,” says Ted Halsey, design principal for Heery International.


The new 53,000-square-foot facility offers three courtrooms, clerk’s offices, and a variety of administrative and support space. The design integrates additional shelled-out space for a fourth courtroom.


“While we wanted the facility to be as cost effective as possible, we didn’t want to design something the county would outgrow in a few years,” Halsey says.


An additional multi-use room is designed for easy reconfiguration to satisfy the county’s training, jury assembly or meeting needs.


“We recently had three jury trials going on at the same time and a court proceeding in our multi-use room,” Herman says.


The facility also houses three jury deliberation rooms, which are designed to provide ample daylighting and outside views.


“Our goal is for jurors to feel comfortable and accommodated to ensure they take whatever time is required to reach their verdict,” Halsey says.


The new facility incorporates three separate circulation paths — for courthouse staff, visitors and prisoners — to enhance functionality, efficiency and safety. The design team situated public spaces to the fore of the building, while restricted and secure areas are located at the rear.


“We’ve worked diligently to plan spaces that anticipate the way the courts and county need to work,” Halsey says.


The plan’s efficiency stems from a proven arrangement of one courtroom on each side of a central core of holding cells, and a secure elevator with chambers and jury rooms at the back of the building, Halsey says. The clerk of courts staff has an open, efficient space in which to work, as well as direct access via stairway or elevator to areas such as the judges’ chambers.


In the old facility, in-custody defendants were escorted via car from the jail to the courthouse, which posed significant risks.


“The excavation of a secure tunnel that leads directly from the jail to the courthouse sally port and holding cells eliminates those risks,” Monger says. A 50-foot standoff between the parking lot and building entrance was incorporated to further enhance security.








Routt County’s new justice facility incorporates three courtrooms.
With the sheriff’s office located in the jail, the county will also be able to provide fast response to incidents without having to hire additional staff.
“That represents potential savings for the county,” Monger says.


The design team married functional circulation and aesthetics with a monumental grand staircase of wood and steel, which is prominently featured at the front of the building. The structure is highly visible from public areas to provide visitors and staff with a convenient elevator alternative.


The stately lobby also features a 16-foot by 64-foot skylight and a bank of windows that bathes the central public space in natural light. A custom wood and acrylic daylight lantern suspended beneath the skylight diffuses natural light in soft tones throughout the lobby.


“Everyone notices this beautiful feature,” Halsey says.


Natural lighting is also one of the facility’s dominant sustainable design elements. Daylighting shelves extend inside and outside windows to reflect natural light deeper into interior spaces. The shelves also provide shading to adjacent office areas.


Offices incorporate large picture windows with operable hopper windows to introduce fresh mountain air. Other sustainable features such as recycled carpeting and low-VOC finishes, including urea formaldehyde-free wood products, were integrated to optimize indoor air quality.


The design incorporates adjustable photovoltaic panels that will produce about 10 percent of the facility’s energy and reduce carbon emissions, according to project officials.


“The system should pay for itself in 18 to 20 years,” Winter says.


The heating system features energy-efficient boilers designed to perform well at high altitudes, while the design team installed in-floor and perimeter radiant heating in the two-story lobby to enhance efficiency and occupant comfort. Conditioned air is supplied at mid-height through an exposed architectural duct that wraps around the wood structure to drop cool air where it’s needed.


“There’s little need to heat and cool the air above occupant level,” Halsey says.


The facility’s mechanical systems are located on the garden level of the courthouse to minimize weather exposure and enhance accessibility for maintenance.


“Tucking the HVAC systems into the garden level also avoided the unsightly appearance of rooftop equipment that would have added to the building’s height,” Halsey says.


The project, of course, was not without obstacles — a portion of the facility site contained a small wetlands habitat. The design team spent more than a year working with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to mitigate impact on the wetlands through alternative planning and site arrangements for the courthouse, tunnel and parking elements.


The resulting project design reduced encroachment of the building’s footprint on the wetland areas and generated a project of higher on-site construction quality. The county also committed to using only native plant species for project landscaping.


“We’re planting according to the site’s water table,” Winter says. “Most of our plants are drought-resistant, except where the water table is high.”


“In those areas, we’re planting native cottonwoods and willows that require a greater amount of water, which is generated by the wetlands,” he says.


Officials will apply for water rights on the wetland that will allow the county to build an irrigation system.


Consideration of the wetlands issue also led the team to create a forebay to trap run-off impurities, improve water quality prior to entering the wetlands and re-establish the natural flow of water beneath and through the wetlands.


“We were very mindful of adhering to a budget while creating a facility that uses the community’s best features in its design,” Monger says. “My hope is that the new courthouse will last as long as the existing courthouse.”


Sue Wasserman is a manager at Heery International, a full-service architecture, interior design, engineering, facility planning and management, construction management and program management firm.