by Brianna Crandall — September 23, 2013—In August, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), U.S. District Court, and federal and local leaders officially broke ground on a new sustainable and cost-effective United States Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. The approximately 600,000 sq. ft. facility will include 24 courtrooms and 32 judicial chambers and will house the U.S. District Court, Central District of California; meet related needs of the U.S. Marshals Service; and provide trial preparation space for the U.S. Attorneys’ Office and the Federal Public Defender.
“We are excited to begin construction on this new courthouse,” said Ruth Cox, GSA’s Pacific Rim (Region 9) regional administrator. “Today’s event is a significant step forward in fulfilling our obligation to the Judiciary for a new courthouse that addresses their long-standing security and space needs in Los Angeles.”
GSA awarded a design-build contract to Clark Construction Group and design partner Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP (SOM) in December 2012. Their design, referred to as the “Cube” because of its shape, is described as a modern interpretation of classic tripartite design: that of base, body and cornice. It includes an innovative structural engineering concept that allows the cubic courthouse volume to appear to float over its stone base, points out GSA.
Striving to achieve GSA Design Excellence, the courthouse’s serrated façade is designed to achieve a north-to-south orientation that will maximize daylight harvesting and views, while reducing the amount of energy needed to cool the building. The facility will boast a 225 kW combined cooling, heating and power system, and a 400 kW roof-mounted photovoltaic array that will produce 525,000 kWh annually. Additionally, the high-efficiency building systems, water-efficient fixtures, and advanced irrigation systems will help the building meet its energy and water conservation goals. With these and other sustainability features, the new courthouse is expected to realize energy cost savings for years to come.
Targeted to achieve LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the courthouse is designed to uniquely respond to its downtown location, and will join a neighborhood of significant, modern Los Angeles buildings, such as the Disney Concert Hall, the Los Angeles Cathedral, Caltrans and Los Angeles Police Department, while simultaneously joining a respected portfolio of GSA Design Excellence buildings.
The new U.S. Courthouse project will not only contribute to the ongoing revival of the Civic Center, it will also help boost the city’s economy by creating new jobs in the construction industry and providing vast opportunities for local small businesses, says GSA. The team is striving to achieve an aggressive 52 percent small business subcontracting goal.
“I’m happy to see construction beginning on the new Los Angeles Federal Courthouse,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Our federal court is among the busiest in the country, and we are greatly in need of a new courthouse. This project will create thousands of jobs and turn an empty lot into an important part of the Civic Center cityscape.”
For additional details about GSA’s Los Angeles Courthouse groundbreaking, building renderings, procurement schedule, and eventually a live Webcam, see Clark Construction’s New United States Courthouse—Los Angeles Web site.
