Photos: Joseph Romeo, courtesy Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners
Washington, DC – Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners (BBB) has completed the final phase in a two-decade effort to modernize the District of Columbia Courts campus, located on historic Judiciary Square. The comprehensive project culminates with the C Street Addition to the H. Carl Moultrie I Courthouse, a 175,000-square-foot facility designed to meet contemporary judicial needs while preserving the architectural and cultural significance of Judiciary Square.
Since 2003, BBB has overseen the modernization of the DC Courts campus. This ambitious effort began with the restoration and expansion of the Historic DC Courthouse at 430 E Street NW, completed in 2009, followed by site improvements such as underground parking, landscape restoration, and perimeter security. Other notable projects include the LEED Gold-certified restoration of 410 E Street NW in 2012 and the revitalization of the Darlington Memorial Fountain and park.
The latest and final project, the LEED BD+C Platinum-certified C Street Addition, introduces modern functionality and state-of-the-art amenities to the H. Carl Moultrie I Courthouse. This effort addresses DC Courts’ pressing needs for additional space, accessibility, and security while ensuring minimal disruption to ongoing operations. The project was delivered in phases, not only allowing the courthouse to remain operational throughout construction, but also accommodating federal funding schedules and staff migrations within the building, in support of continuity of court services.
“This project embodies the DC Courts,” said BBB Partner Jill S. Cavanaugh, AIA, AICP: “accessibility, transparency, civic engagement—all within a secure and sustainable facility that presents a contemporary face to the public it serves.”
The C Street Addition respects the existing modernist Moultrie Courthouse, designed by Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum in 1971 and a contributing resource to the Judiciary Square Historic District. A narrow reveal separates the addition from the existing structure, while a cantilevered glass volume marks public corridors and new courtrooms. The southern façade features varying window widths for a moiré effect. Limestone-clad precast panels match the original building but are smaller and smoother for a lighter look. Offsite prefabrication of these panels reduced construction time and costs.
The project improves the Moultrie Courthouse’s southern entry by extending it to C Street NW and raising it to street level, facilitating permanent accessibility. It restores the historic C Street NW alignment of the L’Enfant Plan, shifting the street southward, to expand the courthouse footprint and enhance the pedestrian experience with wider sidewalks, planting beds, lighting, bike racks, and discreet security features. A new landscape design along the south façade manages stormwater using a vault integrated into retaining walls and bioretention planting beds along the improved sidewalks. Security upgrades include impact-resistant bollards along the site perimeter, hidden by decorative fencing, and new guard booths that complement the building’s aesthetic.
Inside, the centerpiece of the C Street Addition is a daylight-filled, double-height atrium with a suspended stainless steel, terrazzo, and glass stair with an elevated base that doubles as an event stage. Two artworks by Larry Kirkland Studio feature the DC Courts motto (“Open to all, trusted by all, justice for all.”) on a two-story stone panel, and an Alexander Hamilton quote (“The first duty of society is justice.”) embedded in the floor. Glazed public corridors with ample seating connect the atrium to six new courtrooms, offering light-filled spaces with outdoor views for a biophilic experience. Unlike the windowless courtrooms of the original courthouse, the new courtrooms include clerestory windows featuring a specialty glass with fixed louvers, allowing natural light to enter while preserving privacy and reducing glare.
The existing Moultrie Courthouse and new C Street Addition adhere to GSA P100 and US Marshals Service Publication 64 guidelines for maximum security. Exterior measures include a vehicle-impact resistant security perimeter and bullet-resistant glazed entries, curtainwalls, and critical windows. Interior upgrades align with circulation protocols: public access via fully glazed south perimeter corridors, secure circulation for judges and staff via the north perimeter of the new courtrooms, and detainee movement within mezzanine corridors alternating vertically with secure pathways. These measures separate public, judicial, and detainee traffic while maintaining safety and operational efficiency.
Sustainability Features
BBB’s approach to achieving LEED BD+C Platinum certification for the C Street Addition included energy modeling that informed facade and lighting improvements, such as tinted glazing to minimize heat gain while allowing sufficient daylighting, and improving insulation for passive energy reduction strategies. The design incorporates a green roof and reflective pavers on both the roof and the site to reduce heat island effect. Dimmable sensor-driven LED fixtures conserve energy, while rooftop photovoltaic panels generate on-site renewable power. Stormwater management systems are integrated into landscaping, and construction processes that reduce waste and enhance indoor air quality were emphasized. Recycled and regionally sourced materials, along with certified chain-of-custody wood products, were prioritized to support efficient global resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Founded in 1968, Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners (BBB) is an award-winning architecture, planning, and interiors practice with 190 professionals in New York City, Washington DC, Boston, and Miami. The firm’s multi-faceted portfolio encompasses adaptive reuse and rehabilitation, urban design, and new construction across a wide spectrum of building typologies and sectors, including cultural, civic, educational, residential, and commercial projects.
BBB has long been recognized for the revitalization of nationally celebrated buildings and urban sites and the design of contemporary spaces. Notable projects in DC include the US Capitol, Washington Monument, and Kennedy Center; adaptive reuse for cultural institutions such as the Rubell Museum DC and Planet Word; contemporary interiors for the Smithsonian and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and mixed-use and residential projects throughout the National Capital region.
BBB approaches all projects with a deep understanding of their character-defining features and contexts and brings creativity, place-making, and authenticity to the design of buildings and dynamic public spaces that meet the needs of current and future generations.
BBB has been recognized with the American Institute of Architects Firm Award, three Presidential Design Awards, two TIME Magazine Design of the Year Awards, and hundreds of additional accolades for excellence in design and planning. www.beyerblinderbelle.com.
