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CLARK COUNTY REGIONAL JUSTICE CENTER
LAS
VEGAS, NEVADA
Photography:
Tom Bonner
The Regional Justice Center echoes the traditional courthouse by providing an elevated glazed entrance plaza, or civic square, that projects a strong identity to the street. The design is organized to maximize the use of natural light in public and office spaces while maintaining the complex security and zoning requirements of a modern courthouse.
The fi ve-story base of the complex, which houses administrative areas and has a typical “office” floor-tofloor height, reflects a compatible building scale to the existing downtown fabric of Las Vegas. Courtrooms and judges’ chambers are located in the 19-story tower, where the public, private and secure circulation areas are stacked in their appropriate zones.
The offices and courts within the Regional Justice Center are connected by a three-story glass atrium that links the building’s north and south lobbies. The 60-foot high by 350-foot long space pays homage to the downtown grid system while bringing natural light deep into the building. The heart of the building - this canyon - is defi ned by a native sandstone wall inscribed with quotes of the universal concept of justice from various peoples and times.
Consistent with modern design principles, the Regional Justice Center is served by three separate horizontal and vertical circulation systems that link public, staff and inmate zones. The base of the courthouse is designed to accommodate a wide range of public services in a “mall” of justice. The canyon creates an interior street, revealing individual agencies behind storefronts. Public services with the highest volume demand are located on the entry level. The Marriage License Bureau has its own separate entrance off the southeast corner of the building, with a limousine drop-off and a small courtyard and treed canopy for photo opportunities - a phenomenon unique to Las Vegas.
While stone was the preferred look and material, concrete masonry units proved to have many of the same aesthetic qualities, while being a more economical and flexible building material. Oversize blocks were used at the base to scale up the building, and bull nose blocks were used to separate the base from the upper block used in the walls. Stainless steel parapet fl ashing tops the CMU walls. Oversize grey block was used on the tower. Running bond and stack bond were used for aesthetics. Colors were used to refl ect the surrounding desert, while ground face units were used to bring out the color of the aggregate giving it a natural stone-like finish.
ARCHITECT:
Tate Snyder Kimsey
Architects
709 Valle Verde Court
Henderson, NV 89014
J. Windom Kimsey,
FAIA
Principal
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER:
LERA
GENERAL CONTRACTOR:
AF Construction Company
MASONRY CONTRACTOR:
AF Construction Company
BLOCK PRODUCER:
Rinker Materials
Trenwyth Industries, Inc.
OWNER:
Clark County, Nevada
