Photo Credit: 2RW Consultants

Southampton County Courthouse Facilities Renovation and Addition

Courtland, VA

Owner

Southampton County

Timeframe

2020 – 2024

Size

40,000 SF

Cost

$15.9 million

MEP/FP engineering for this courthouse renovation and expansion integrates modern systems while coordinating with historic building requirements. The design includes quiet, acoustically sensitive HVAC systems, maintenance-friendly infrastructure, and anti-ligature solutions in holding areas to meet security needs. Specialized systems support archival preservation with controlled temperature and humidity, along with FM200 clean agent fire suppression to protect sensitive records.

Project Goals

The 1890s historic courthouse, expanded in the 1960s, 70s, and 90s as well a full renovation in the 90s, was served by a combination of systems which were reaching end-of-life. To better serve the needs of the staff and community, the County recognized the need to modernize and streamline the facility through a complete renovation and expansion, including the update of the HVAC systems with a single, more efficient, system.

Services

2RW provided MEP/FP engineering and coordinated with historic building regulations to integrate modern and efficient systems for this renovation and expansion project. The project features a general district courtroom, a juvenile and domestic relations courtroom, staff and deputy clerk offices, an archival records room, holding cells, and a jury assembly room.

Project goals for the courthouse facility include maintenance-friendly MEP/FP systems and quiet and discreet indoor air quality systems that don’t interfere with acoustics in the courtrooms. To meet security requirements in the holding cells, the design includes anti-ligature systems to eliminate exposure of plumbing, lighting, fire sprinkler, or exhaust systems.

To preserve and conserve archival documents, the records room meets the requirements for humidity and temperature control and uses FM200 clean agent fire suppression system. This system utilizes gas to extinguish fire in 10 seconds or less and eliminates water damage that can be caused by traditional sprinkler systems.

Results

The updates improve the building’s maintenance, efficiency, and security and provide better space for archival records while retaining the courthouse’s historic features.

 

Partners

Glave & Holmes Architecture

Silling Architects

TRC Companies

Heartland Construction, Inc.

Awards

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Team
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Jyn Jagadeesh, PE, LEED AP BD+C

Project Engineer, Mechanical
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Matthew Lewis, PE

Principal
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Neal Cramer, PE

Principal
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Mikal Evelyn

BIM/CADD Coordinator
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Chad Singletary, EIT

Electrical Engineer
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Julie Phan

Electrical Engineer
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Logan Jones

Mechanical Engineer
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Ted Gidey, CPD, GPD

Senior Plumbing Engineer
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Joe Scerbo, CPD, GPD

Senior Plumbing Engineer
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RJ Hartman, PE

Project Manager
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Brandon Wilson, PE

Principal
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Lucas Hoffmann, PE, LEED AP BD+C

Principal

Project Gallery

Image credit

2RW Consultants