General Services Administration
Cedar Rapids US Courthouse
Project
Cedar Rapids US Courthouse
Client
General Services Administration
Location
Cedar Rapids, IA
Completion
2012
Size
336,842 GSF
Certification
LEED Gold Certified
Category
Civic Realm
Partner Firm
OPN Architects
Situated prominently in downtown Cedar Rapids near the City Hall and the county courthouse, this United States District Courthouse brings together for the first time the District, Magistrate, and Bankruptcy Courts, as well as appellate Court chambers, Probation Services, Congressional offices and the offices of the U.S. Attorney. To reduce the stress of visitors, the building is structured around an extremely clear organization in which the courtroom entrances are visible from the exterior. The courthouse serves as a model for unobtrusively integrating security on the site and upon entry. It directly addresses the challenge of bringing daylight to courtrooms while maintaining secure circulation paths. And it responds to the increasing size and scale of federal buildings with a design that is both recognizably civic and contemporary.
[The] gentle sweep of the building toward the river is as if the river created the shape—it really is a pleasure to study this solution on this site.
2016 AIA Justice Facilities Review
PROCESS
A site model is used to test building footprint, scale, and massing of the proposed courthouse
The design team and client meet on site to review material selections
WRA principal Sam Lasky discusses plan concepts with the client
An exterior model explores how the interior of the building will interface with and look out on its surroundings
A full-scale mock-up was integral to understanding how all of the elements of a successful courtroom come together
A site model helps to provide a scale to the city and the site's relationship to the Cedar River
WRA principal Bill Rawn hands off a model to a member of the client team during a design meeting
Awards + Press
2016 National AIA/AAJ Justice Facilities Review Program Citation
2016 GSA Architecture Design Citation
2014 AIA New England Design Excellence Honor Award
2014 BSA Design Excellence Award
2012 Iowa Ready Mixed Concrete Association Excellence in Concrete Award for Public Work/Structure
AIA, “Cedar Rapids United States Courthouse”
Architect Magazine, “Local Market - Cedar Rapids Iowa”
The Cedar Rapids Courthouse expresses a democratic spirit of openness and approachability through two organizing principles:
JUSTICE ON DISPLAY
This is one of the only recently constructed Federal Courthouse where entrances to all courtrooms are visible to the public at street level.
WINDOWS IN EVERY COURTROOM
This is the first recently constructed Federal Courthouse with windows on two sides of every District, Magistrate and Bankruptcy courtroom.
Project Consultants
Structural Engineer | LeMessurier Consultants, Inc.
Mechanical / Electrical Engineer | KJWW Engineering Consultants
Civil Engineer | Ament Inc.
Landscape Architect | Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc.
Lighting Consultant | Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design
Photographer | Robert Benson, Peter Wilson, + Wayne Johnson