Estimated for completion in 2014, the Montgomery County Judicial Center is the seventh major courthouse project in the history of Montgomery County. The new complex will become the eastern anchor for a revitalized government center and a symbol of the courts' important role in the community. Sited at the intersection of East Jefferson Street and Maryland Avenue in the downtown Rockville, this project involves the design of a 191,000-gross square foot new courts annex and renovation of the existing 327,000-gross square foot courthouse. Juvenile court functions and other related family court functions will relocate to the annex, leaving vacant spaces in the existing judicial center available for re-use.
The design includes high-volume support space for Family Services and Family clerks, and a child play area on the first floor. Efficient use of space was achieved through the four-court-per-floor layout organized around a north-south corridor facing the plaza and landscaped park. Clad in a richly textured skin of copper with bronze and brass accents, the pillars are intended to provide a warm counterpoint to the crisp glass curtainwalls and pre-cast panels of the remainder of the building. Simultaneously providing acoustical properties and maintenance-free finishes, the courtrooms' wood paneling provides a warm, richly textured environment. Highlighting the importance and neutrality of the judge is a wall of white stone located directly behind the bench.
The annex is designed with three separate circulation systems for the public, judiciary, and prisoners. The annex is slated to achieve a minimum of LEED® Gold certification through energy-efficient and sustainable features that include vegetative or "green" roofs, energy efficient mechanical systems, waterless urinals, and use of regional materials and environmentally friendly products.
