281.356.7555
Houston's new civil courthouse is part of an overall downtown courthouse master plan, which includes the Family Law Center, the Criminal Justice Center, the Juvenile Justice Center, and the 1910 Civil Courthouse. A common tunnel system connecting to a new below-grade jury assembly center underneath the courthouse plaza is also part of the plan.
“The new civil courthouse is one of four court buildings that will form a new downtown courthouse campus. The plan will make the county’s court system much more convenient for the thousands of people who utilize our justice system everyday”, said Judge Eckels. “We are proud to tell the citizens of Harris County that we were able to build this courthouse on time and on budget.”
Art Storey, Jr., executive director of Harris County’s Public Infrastructure Department and Rich Elwood, project manager, were the overseers and managers of the project. By using in-house construction management, Harris County saved taxpayers millions of dollars.
The new Harris County Civil Courthouse has 17 floors and a basement, totaling over 660,000 square feet. The Civil Courts are on floors 5-17, with four courtrooms on each floor except for floors six and seven where there are only two courtrooms. There are 47 reserved parking spaces in the basement with direct access to secure elevators for the judges and their staff. A cafeteria will also be in the basement level.
The Civil Courthouse is a concrete structure with pre-cast concrete and glass exterior. Interior finishes include tropical brown granite walls and Vratza limestone for the columns and wall bases in the public areas. Flooring throughout the public corridors is made of thickset Italian terrazzo. Spectator benches in the courtrooms are oak with cherry stain. Wood paneling and millwork are made of cherry veneers. The stone behind the judge’s benches is Texas limestone quarried in Garden City, Texas.
Enviro-Grid was used, and we were proud to work with the architects Pierce, Goodwin, Alexander and Linville for the project.
For more information visit
pgal.com