Evo A. Deconcini
Federal Courthouse
Tucson, Arizona
Our commission by the General Services Administration (GSA) for the design of a new courthouse in Tucson stipulated that it meet the requirements for the U.S. Courts and related federal agencies for 30 years. The project consolidates the U.S. District Courts, U.S. Magistrate Courts, U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, auxiliary federal judicial functions, the U.S. Attorneys Office, U.S. Trustees, and U.S. Marshals Service into a common facility. The six-story, two-tower complex—organized around two towers—is clad in an aluminum curtain wall and employs translucent fiberglass, ground-face/split-face concrete block and bush-hammered, pre-cast concrete panels, reflecting Tucson’s character in the materials and horizontal massing. Our design balances the desire for public accessibility with security requirements, responds to severe climatic issues, promotes the redevelopment in areas surrounding the site, and creates community open spaces for festivals and regional events after business hours.
Project Data
Complete
413,000 sf
Program & Highlights
14 courtrooms
Circuit court library
Ceremonial proceedings courtroom
Judges’ conference room and dining facility
Jury assembly area
Media/press room
Probation office
Audio/visual systems
Cafeteria
Recognition
2000-2001 AIA CAJ Justice Facilities Review, Featured Project
1996 General Services Administration, Design Award for Building in Progress
1996 General Services Administration Citation for Design Excellence
Committee on Architecture for Justice, AIA, “Architects Statement,” Justice Facilities Review, 2000-2001Critchley, Jill, “Responding to the climate,” Stone World, April 2001
“Evo A. Deconcini U.S. Courthouse, Tucson, Arizona,” The Retrospective in Courthouse Design, 1991-2001
Bonnie Henry, “Courthouse Clamor,” The Arizona Daily Star, February 27, 2000
Heidi Landecker, "Federal Architecture:A New Era/ Court Houses:The country's finest architects are designing a new breed of federal courthouses that ennoble their communities," Architecture, January 1996
Kristin Richards, "Justice on a budget," Interiors, December 1996
Micheal Wise, “The policy shall be to provide requisite and adequate facilities in an architectural style and form which is distinguished,” Architecture, January 2001
Collaborators
Associate Architect: Sakellar Associates
Structural Engineer: Holben, Martin & White
Mechanical/Electrical Engineer: Leo A. Daly
Civil Engineer: Collins-Pina Consulting Engineers, Inc
Construction Manager: Huber, Hunt & Nichols
Acoustics/AV: Paoletti Associates, Inc.
Landscape Architect: Wheat-Gallaher & Associates, Inc.
Photographer: Bill Timerman, Foaad Farah