McCarthy/Brooks + Scarpa /HMC Architects have released their proposal for the Design Excellence/design-build competition for new United States courthouse in Los Angeles. The contractor lead design/build team was selected to compete thru the General Services Administration two-stage Design Excellence Program. The approximately 550,000 sq. ft. high-rise building located at 1st and Hill Street is designed to accommodate a future 175,000 sq. ft. federal office building. The proposed 320 foot tall structure will be certified LEED Platinum and will save nearly 2 million gallons of water per year.
 


Design Concept:

Inspired by the interweaving of a grand natural arch embedded with a memory of the scales of Lady Justice who represents the allegorical personification of the moral force of our judicial systems, the proposed design symbolizes the strength, dignity and balanced fairness of the Federal Court. As the visitor approaches they will discover that the acanthus leaf pattern ornaments both the precast and the glazing creating a connection to the iconic Corinthian columns at the entry to the U.S. Supreme Court – are interpretation in modern materials that connects to the best traditions of American justice.

The design delivers functional efficiency, security, and accessibility for the Court, the U.S. Marshal Service, and the other tenants and users. The design-build team’s collaborative effort resulted in a project that exceeds the GSA’s sustainability and energy conservation goals with proven, durable, low-maintenance strategies to deliver a LEED Platinum Courthouse.
 


Project Team:


General Contractor: McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
John McRitchie: Principal-In-Charge, McCarthy
Architects:  Brooks + Scarpa and HMC Architects
Lawrence Scarpa, FAIA and Kate Diamond, FAIA, Co-Lead Designers
Landscape:  The Olin Partnership 
Civil:   Psomas
Structural:  Thornton Tomasetti
Blast:   Thornton Tomasetti
Curtainwall:  Thornton Tomasetti
Fire, Life Safety: Rolf Jensen & Associates, Inc. (Fire, Life Safety)
MEP:   WSP Flack + Kurtz 
Sustainability:  WSP Built Ecology 
Acoustic/Security: Waveguide 
Vertical Transportation: The Schachinger Group