"As a foundation of American democracy, the court system commands a unique respect while remaining open to all who seek justice. The project team for the Alfred A. Arraj U.S. Courthouse in Denver worked to carefully balance elements of traditional dignity with a welcoming presence, but this was only the beginning of a design direction that ultimately served the public's best interest.

"When the U.S. General Services Administration set an initial design program for the courthouse in 1995, information about green design was slowly emerging. As the agency waited for congressional funding and design progressed, a small organization called the U.S. Green Building Council launched its first green-building rating system. The GSA became intrigued and decided to use these guidelines on the $75 million Alfred A. Arraj U.S. Courthouse as a case study.

"'We're a public agency, and it made good sense to use public funds in a way that enhanced overall functionality and saved energy,' says Curtis Berg, tem leader of the Project Management Studio in Property Development for GSA Region 8. 'We needed to know if it was feasible from a cost perspective, so the courthouse became a sustainable pilot project for GSA.'

"…Cutting a crisp, clean form among Denver's downtown-architectural landscape, the 320,000-square-foot courthouse is set in a four-block federal complex with some classical buildings adjacent to modern high-rise commercial offices. HOK, St. Louis, and Anderson Mason Dale Architects, Denver, scaled the project to bridge these two areas. A 2-story entry pavilion houses the Special Proceedings Courtroom and Jury Assembly. This pavilion connects to a 10-story tower that provides four magistrate courtrooms, 10 district courtrooms and clerks' offices.

"Sustainability begins with a genuine understanding of the site, according to Gyo Obata, design principal at HOK. 'Denver receives a tremendous amount of sunlight, so we oriented the main wing to the south to control energy and maximize daylight. We also added a plaza that interprets the quality of the natural surroundings and a water feature to reflect the Rocky Mountains,' Obata explains."

Other sustainable features highlighted in the article are the energy-efficient curtainwall, lighting control systems, underfloor air-distribution system, evaporative cooling system, cork flooring and roof-mounted photovoltaic panels.

"…With the sustainable features working in concert, energy models predict the building will perform 46 percent better than the Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service Code."

This six-page article includes 16 project photos, a list of green materials and sources, and project team members. The building was also featured on a tour of sustainable projects during the recent Greenbuild International Conference & Expo.

Source: "Presiding Influence," eco-structure, November 2006, by K.J. Fields. Download a PDF of the story here.

The Arraj Courthouse is also featured on the cover of a new publication titled Celebrating the Courthouse: A Guide for Architects, Their Clients, and the Public and available from W.W. Norton & Company. Order the book.