Maury County Judicial Center
Large Project (over 25,000 sf)
Located 4 blocks south of the county’s 1904 historic courthouse and square, the new courthouse provides greater access to the county’s judicial services. Six new courtrooms doubled the county’s court capacity, new staff and judge work areas increased work efficiencies, and separate circulation paths for staff, detainees, and the public circulation enhanced security. While providing a state-of-the-art judicial hub, the building’s architecture respects and honors the local context and community with detailed brickwork, sensitive massing, and the representation of historic county events in interior graphics.
Awards Year | 2025
Project Statement
Maury County recognized that their historic 1904 courthouse could no longer meet the needs of their judicial services, and so a new facility was conceived to serve the next generation. A site was selected within walking distance of the town square, previously developed and by the Columbia Daily Herald.
Architect Workshop began by developing a space needs analysis alongside prototypical arrangements for courtroom layouts. After validating the structural infeasibility of converting the previous Daily Herald building for the judicial center, a new facility was designed for the site. The Maury County Judicial Center would meet the needs of their growing population while reflecting a modern application of justice, recognizing responsibility alongside human safety, dignity, interaction, and respect for the community’s culture and history.
The building’s length is used to organize the site into a public entry separate from the secure zone for personnel and detainee entries. The site’s natural grading is used in turn to create a small zone below the main floor utilized for temporary detainee waiting and building equipment. This most secure zone then connects vertically at strategic courtroom access points, informing building organization around a core of courtrooms with a second secure zone for staff workspaces and jury deliberation, plus a third concourse zone for public circulation.
The 6 courtrooms provide Juvenile, Chancery, General Sessions, and Circuit Court functions. They are dispersed on the main and upper floors and offer multiple configurations of interaction between legal teams, bench, witness, and jury. One configuration, known as the Virginia Revival Model, places the jury centered in priority position with the judge seated behind, reinforcing Jeffersonian democratic principles in the proceedings.
The elongated public concourse terminates in expansive glazing, daylighting the circulation and waiting areas. Flanking the concourse on both floors are entry vestibules to courtrooms along with a series of private meeting rooms, allowing opportunities for impromptu family and legal discussions. The broad glass fronts of these rooms feature historic photography on translucent film, providing the glow of soft, shared lighting while affording privacy. The court clerks are given modern work areas which offer safe methods of public interaction and contemporary document management systems.
The building’s exterior features layered nuances in brick detailing, a tribute to traditional civic structures in the area, while the building’s massing and generous windows are reflective of modernity and human-centered experience. Large-scale custom artwork on the building exterior proclaims ideals of justice outwardly.
Framework for Design Excellence Narrative
The Maury County Judicial Center embodies the principles of design excellence by advancing community equity, fostering integration of design and purpose, and enhancing occupant well-being through thoughtful spatial and systems strategies.
**Equitable Communities:** Located within walking distance of the historic town square, the building replaces an outdated 1904 courthouse with a modern, accessible facility that doubles court capacity and improves public service. Its placement in a central civic district reaffirms community investment and ensures access to legal services for all residents, including those arriving by foot or public transit. Security and dignity are equally prioritized. Separate circulation paths for the public, staff, and detainees maintain safety while dedicated meeting rooms allow for private attorney-client interaction. The inclusion of clerks’ offices, jury deliberation rooms, and youth services under one roof improves service equity across demographic lines.
**Design for Integration:** The building reflects a cohesive vision shaped through close collaboration with county officials, court staff, and community stakeholders. Materials such as brick and limestone connect the new structure to its historic context, while salvaged light fixtures and historic image graphics embed local memory into daily function. The 58,000 SF layout aligns programmatic goals with spatial clarity. Courtrooms are flanked by meeting spaces, and circulation is intuitive, minimizing stress for first-time visitors. The result is a building that unifies form and purpose, balancing civic presence with practical need.
**Design for Well-Being:** Natural daylighting was a core strategy in shaping the public concourse and staff work areas. Glazing along circulation corridors and into court-adjacent meeting rooms allows daylight to filter deep into the building while maintaining privacy through translucent historical imagery. Staff break rooms on each level provide restorative zones that are visible yet tucked away, encouraging daily use. Clerks operate within a secure environment of open ballistic glazing, which preserves visibility and interaction with the public while enhancing safety and comfort.
**Together, these measures ensure that the Maury County Judicial Center not only fulfills its function, but also elevates the everyday experience of its users, delivering a justice facility rooted in community, context, and care.**
LEED/Green Certifications
N/a
Price/sq. ft. if provided
$460
Photo Captions
2 - Site Plan
3 - Floor Plans
4 - Exterior Signage
5 - Lobby
6 - Stair
7 - Security and Safety
8 - Court Concourse
9 - Court Room
10 - Clerk Concourse
11 - Main Stair
12 - Upstairs Court Concourse
13 - Clerk Desk
14 - Court Room
15 - Exterior Night
