Award of Merit, Government/Public Buildings: United States Federal Courthouse, Bakersfield
A fast-tracked design-build delivery project, the 30,000-sq-ft interpretation of the traditional courthouse on the village green features one Magistrate Court and chamber, district clerk's office, U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services.
Completed in June 2012, $2.5 million under budget, the $25-million, two-story facility uses 30% less energy than comparable buildings. The courthouse is required to achieve LEED Silver Certification, but the team says it could achieve Gold as built.
Adjacent to a public lake, the building combines classical architecture with a contemporary style. Concrete tilt-up panels were cast on site; for security, some are thicker than normal. The largest panel weighed 150,000 lbs, requiring a 300-ton crane. The slender concrete columns are a modern take on a classical portico. Wide exterior stairs lead to the public entry porch and into the courtroom waiting area.
The site is within 150 ft of an aqueduct east of the property line and six inches from a neighboring building. While excavating and shoring, the construction team drove trench boxes to ensure that the building was not harmed.
As a community gesture to cap off the project, the construction team invited local officials, community members and the local Boys & Girls Club to help plant 15 trees.
United States Federal Courthouse
Bakersfield
Key Players
Owner: U.S. General Services Administration, San Francisco
Contractor: Gilbane Building Co., San Jose
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Architect of Record: NBBJ, Seattle
Construction Management: APSI Construction Management, Irvine
Structural Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti, Los Angeles
Civil Engineer: Psomas, Roseville
MEP: A. G. Mechanical Engineers, Santa Barbara
Landscape Architect: Mia Lehrer + Associates, Los Angeles
Submitted by Gilbane Building/NBBJ/GSA
