NEWS

FEBRUARY.2011
EHRLICH ARCHITECTS TO DESIGN FEDERAL COURTHOUSE

Ehrlich Architects was recently awarded the design for the New John M. Roll United States Courthouse in Yuma, Arizona. The firm, teamed with Phoenix General Contractor, Sundt, was awarded the project after winning a design-build competition sponsored by the General Services Administration (GSA) Design Excellence Program.



Earlier this month, the Senate unanimously passed a measure naming the new Yuma courthouse after Chief United States District Judge John M. Roll who was killed in the January Tucson shooting; President Obama later signed the measure into law. Judge Roll served as a Board Member on the Selection Panel for the competition, representing the Courts in Arizona. During the selection process, Judge Roll commented, "The Southwestern flavor of this concept retains the dignity of a Federal Courthouse. It is a great fit for the immediate area, particularly as positioned [and] the front entrance is prominent and inviting."

The proposed 56,800 gsf Federal Courthouse reinterprets and updates the classical American courthouse while adapting to the extreme Southern Arizona climate utilizing 21st century durable materials and technologies. The complex will house a Courtroom, Judges' Chambers, Training Room, Jury Facilities, Probation and Pretrial Services, District and Bankruptcy Court Services, and U.S. Marshals Service program.

The site's prominent location near Yuma's Main Street motivated the designers to incorporate an important outdoor civic space within the building's design. A "front porch" for the public will be created through an expansive photovoltaic canopy. The canopy (together with solar thermal collectors) will provide an estimated 26,000 annual kWh, and will also provide a shaded oasis for the employees and visitors of the facility and the greater community.

"With the canopy, we are reinterpreting the shaded porch - how the citizens of Yuma have historically dealt with the desert sun - in a modern and sustainable way," explains Lead Designer Steven Ehrlich, FAIA. "As a public offering, the 'Front Porch' will encourage gathering with its gracious sense of place and welcoming shade." more information