U.S. Courts Design Guide
building, renovation of an existing building,
a lease, or other means.
Any action taken by a court or circuit
judicial council that would lead to
extravagance in courthouse construction or
renovation is prohibited; however, the
Judicial Conference of the United States
recognizes and strongly supports a
pragmatic approach to design that includes
the use of durable, quality materials. This
approach ensures that courthouses
constructed at present will last well into the
future.
Supporting Documents
Court facilities are built under GSA's construction program. Criteria for federal
buildings constructed under the GSA program are found in the publication
Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service. The publication includes
criteria for site; building structure (including seismic design); building mechanical
and electrical systems; building services such as elevators, fire protection, and
security; and general office design. The publication also contains references to
appropriate national building codes. In contrast, the Guide covers only those
criteria pertaining to the unique functions of the U.S. Courts. Where appropriate,
the Guide directly references criteria found in Facilities Standards for the Public
Buildings Service.
Other documents that contain requirements for U.S. Courts facilities are the
Federal Property Management Regulations (FPMR) (Chapters 101-17 and
101-19), and the GSA Prospectus Development Study (PDS) completed for each
project. The FPMR defines standards, classifications, and alterations in GSA
spaces, including special classifications for court spaces. The PDS, prepared
according to criteria in GSA's Prospectus Development Study Guide (December
1991), provides project-specific programs, budgets, and implementation strategies.
Security equipment identified in the Guide will be furnished by the U.S. Marshals
Service (USMS). Detailed specifications for security equipment and criteria for
USMS administrative and secure spaces are found in Requirements and
Introduction-4
12/19/97
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