Jackson County Courthouse

Jefferson, GA

Cooper Carry provided master planning and architectural design services for the 124,000 square foot Jackson County Courthouse. The master plan anticipated the growth of the county and services offered to its citizens, and the incorporation of the existing facilities on the adjacent County owned property. The Courthouse includes five courtrooms. Two of these rooms seat approximately 120 people; two smaller courtrooms accommodate up to 104 people. Additional elements of the courthouse include: a public atrium space with a cupola, jury assembly room, several jury deliberation rooms, judge’s chambers, witness rooms, attorney conference room and holding cells. The Jackson County Courthouse continues the exploration of the messages of justice, honor, and democracy as articulated in the classical language. Seizing upon the owner-driven stylistic requirement, Cooper Carry‘s design team selected a strong simple composition and site placement to command the presence and respect required. The primary design objective included a sense of stability and permanence in this rural yet fast-growing county. Classical proportioning was carefully studied and implemented throughout all aspects of the design. The Doric Order was selected as the primary portioning system due to its agrarian origins matching those of Jackson County. Needing to communicate permanence and stability, the sturdiness of the Doric Order sent the more appropriate message over its lighter and more delicate counterparts. The courthouse utilizes an interior atrium as its primary volume and organizational tool. This rigidly-ordered rectangular space provides immediate orientation to all those who enter the courthouse. The full height volume soars three floors to reveal the total organization of the building. All major public circulation, vertically between floors and throughout the individual floors, occurs along the edges of this organizing spatial volume.