Common Pleas Courthouse Recognized in American Institute of Architects Publication

The Franklin County Common Pleas Courthouse, constructed by Commissioners and opened in 2011, has been selected for inclusion in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Justice Facilities Review 2013.

The Justice Facilities Review is published annually by the AIA Academy of Architecture for Justice advisory group to provide a meaningful tool to public entities from the around the country that are researching, planning and designing justice facilities of their own.

“This most recent recognition for our courthouse is further validation that we accomplished what we set out to do,” said Commission President Marilyn Brown. “And that was to build an accessible, beautiful, energy-efficient, and modern building that our residents, attorneys and judges can be proud of for generations to come. From beginning to end, function was first in how this courthouse was designed and constructed.”

“As the first and only Gold LEED-certified courthouse in the Midwest, our common pleas courthouse is a national beacon, and that is thanks to the hard work of our dedicated project team led by County Administration and our department of Public Facilities Management, as well as our private partners from Pizzuti Solutions, DesignGroup, Gilbane, Arquitectonica, RicciGreene and many others,” said Commissioner Paula Brooks. “It is a tremendous source of pride for our county, and a testament to the fact that you can design and construct a beautiful, functional building, while adhering to the principles of sustainability and cost-efficiency.”

“Our job and mission was to make sure all who work and conduct business here can do their jobs without having to worry about any aspect of the facility,” said Commissioner John O’Grady. “Our project partners and colleagues from the courts, worked tirelessly to provide the residents of Franklin County with the most cost-effective, accessible Courthouse in Ohio.”

“Our courthouse symbolizes the importance of justice in our community; accessibility for the public, transparency of legal process and efficiency,” said Judge Patrick Sheeran, Administrative Judge for the Court of Common Pleas General Division. “We appreciate all of the assistance and collaboration that went into this building, and the hard work of all the architects who made this possible.”

The seven-story, 325,000-square-foot Common Pleas Courthouse, which opened in 2011, was the first courthouse in Ohio to achieve LEED Gold certification. The building houses 32 courtrooms and sits at the northwest corner of High and Mound streets in Columbus.

An online version of the AIA Justice Facilities Review 2013. The Franklin County Common Pleas Courthouse can be found in the Court Facilities section on pages 28-29.