Snohomish County Courthouse

the story

This tower addition to an existing Courthouse is located on a government campus with a well-developed civic plaza unifying the block. The addition defines a five-story edge and creates a new civic scaled entry that bridges the street and the campus plaza.

Renovation to the existing Courthouse includes seismic upgrade, fire suppression system, enhanced security and accessible access to all aspects of the court system.

at-a-glance

TYPE:

Addition and Renovation

SERVICES:

Architecture

LOCATION:

Everett, WA

STATUS:

Completed 2021

SIZE:

120,000 SF

The existing courthouse building, built in 1967, provided little space for security screening, had unreliable elevators, asbestos hazards, and outdated plumbing.

The new courthouse design uses contemporary planning standards to improve operations, security and circulation by separating populations within the building through separate circulation systems. In addition to “right-sizing” the functional spaces to meet today’s standards, the design adds layers of circulation for secure access and movement within the building, replaces 20 existing courtrooms, and provides administrative departments critical to the operations of the courts.

The plan is anchored by a new vertical circulation tower that provides a glass staircase and ADA compliant elevator access to all levels of the existing building. This new element also provides seismic bracing for the existing structure. The existing building circulation is connected to the new public lobbies with access to natural light and views of the historic Mission Building bell tower.

<p>The five-story addition has a simple massing that extends perpendicular from the existing courthouse towards the street. The massing and materiality of the building’s skin directly reflects the functions within. The public realm including the public entrance lobby, vertical circulation and jury assembly are marked by transparency and natural daylighting. The common arrival sequence with axial windows and views connects the renovated courthouse to its rich environment with views both urban and natural.</p>

The five-story addition has a simple massing that extends perpendicular from the existing courthouse towards the street. The massing and materiality of the building’s skin directly reflects the functions within. The public realm including the public entrance lobby, vertical circulation and jury assembly are marked by transparency and natural daylighting. The common arrival sequence with axial windows and views connects the renovated courthouse to its rich environment with views both urban and natural.

<p>This existing County Courthouse and tower addition are a complement to the dynamic civic plaza. The colonnaded porch and arrival stairs elevated above the ground plain have a symbolic reference to the classical courthouse prototype.</p>

This existing County Courthouse and tower addition are a complement to the dynamic civic plaza. The colonnaded porch and arrival stairs elevated above the ground plain have a symbolic reference to the classical courthouse prototype.

<p>The courthouse facade is a balance between the open expression of the new public entry and screening lobby with the brutalist punched openings that articulate the existing building envelope. The massing and materiality of the building’s skin directly reﬂects the functions within. The grand entrance canopy and colonnade are defined by the glazed curtain wall façade that welcomes visitors into a highly transparent public entrance lobby with natural light.</p>

The courthouse facade is a balance between the open expression of the new public entry and screening lobby with the brutalist punched openings that articulate the existing building envelope. The massing and materiality of the building’s skin directly reﬂects the functions within. The grand entrance canopy and colonnade are defined by the glazed curtain wall façade that welcomes visitors into a highly transparent public entrance lobby with natural light.

<p>A procession unfolds at the civic plaza that terminates at the grand porch courthouse entrance, creating a more intimate connection between the new addition and the courthouse campus.</p>

A procession unfolds at the civic plaza that terminates at the grand porch courthouse entrance, creating a more intimate connection between the new addition and the courthouse campus.

<p>The courthouse addition initiates a stronger connection to the urban downtown context by an appropriately extended footprint that engages with the streetscape.</p>
<p>The massing and materiality of the building’s skin directly reflects the functions within. The grand entrance canopy and colonnade define the glazed curtain wall façade that welcomes visitors into a highly transparent public entrance lobby with natural daylighting.</p>

The courthouse addition initiates a stronger connection to the urban downtown context by an appropriately extended footprint that engages with the streetscape.

The massing and materiality of the building’s skin directly reflects the functions within. The grand entrance canopy and colonnade define the glazed curtain wall façade that welcomes visitors into a highly transparent public entrance lobby with natural daylighting.

Previous Jury Assembly

The Jury Assembly space serves as an extension of the public realm as a multi-use space that will accommodate up to 200 people. The protected clerestory views to the horizon and the downtown make this a dynamic, naturally-lit environment for daily jury service, ceremonial court events and community meetings.

Courtroom Before

Both new and renovated courtrooms address accessibility issues and incorporate new lighting, security and technology. The room composition emphasizes the strong center bench and introduce variegated wood paneling to warm the space. The interiors borrow natural light from the corridor through glazed sidelights at the courtroom entries behind the spectator seating.

Snohomish County Courthouse

the story

at-a-glance

Project Contacts