Catonsville District Court

As a lower court, without jury trials, the Catonsville District Court will function as a people’s court, handling a busy docket of minor criminal and civil cases. Located along an emerging edge city at the intersection of the Baltimore Beltway and a major interstate connector, this courthouse represents a new type of civic building, one without the traditional urban cues of a downtown context.

The 128,798-square-foot courthouse adapts to its wooded, natural setting and lack of formal civic context with a strategy that emphasizes its environmental features. The landscape is developed with advanced natural storm water management techniques that will detain and clean all rainwater at the site to help restore the downstream Chesapeake Bay. A key element of this strategy includes a green roof on the low-rise wing, which provides a calming visual amenity to those waiting outside courtrooms on the floors above.

As Maryland’s first green courthouse, Catonsville District Court is defined by its high-performance sustainable design, LEED Silver Certification, and was chosen as a 2015 AIA Justice Facilities Review Selection.