Franklin County Court of Common Pleas

The new 350,000-square-foot Franklin County Court of Common Pleas accommodates both criminal and civil courts, with a capacity for 32 courtrooms, two of which are designed to accommodate large public trials and have integrated facilities for the media. Our firm was contracted for programming, planning and courtroom design services. The design approach maximizes cost and functional efficiency by organizing the building into six courtrooms per floor, arranged in trios around a central core of holding cells with a secure elevator and corridor. The elevator core is also designed to separate the public areas between civil and criminal courts. The design scheme also allows for future courts expansion.

The glass curtain wall façade and public corridors of the building face south, so as to benefit from sustained daylight. Metal louvers assist in retaining warmth during the winter months, and shade and cool the interior of the building during the heat of summer.

The architecture features a sustainable design that meets LEED Gold certification. The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas was a 2011 recipient of the Harrison W. Smith Award from the Columbus Downtown Commission and a 2013 recipient of the Citation Award from AIA’s Justice Facilities Review Awards.