This eight-story complex houses six courtrooms and combines all operations of the district attorney’s office under one roof. The design effort has resulted in a functional, safe and efficient environment that exceeds current requirements for courthouse security.

The client’s primary design objective was to develop a building that conveys to the community a vision of public service, human dignity and permanence, equality in treatment, flexibility and hope.

The justice center complements and harmonizes with the existing fabric of the downtown cityscape. The building is located on a compact site adjacent to an existing county courts building. In response to this site constraint, TSK designed a single point of entry that serves both buildings. This shared-use entry has created an identifiable address on Sierra Street that has helped greatly with wayfinding and allowed for the consolidation of security screening functions that resulted in a significant cost savings to Washoe County and City of Reno.

Incorporating artwork into the project was a challenge, as the program did not allow for a formal gallery space. Instead, artwork integrates directly into the building materials. A local artist created a mural on the floor of the main entrance lobby and Washoe County School District students participated in a contest to design a large glass installation located in the landing of the facility’s main staircase.