Stephenson & Turner
Auckland High Court Refurbishment

Project Information

Brief

The Ministry of Justice engaged S&T to repurpose and modernise parts of the historic Auckland High Court interior. One of our tasks was to design a new civil courtroom with ancillary spaces in place of the old criminal registry office.

Goals

We set our goal to achieve the following criteria:

1
The environment should calm and arouse focus in the judges and solicitors, who must concentrate on mentally taxing tasks for long hours.
2
The courtroom is a place of significance and should inspire order and awe.
3
The interiors need to provide good acoustics, security and privacy.
4
The design should respect its historical context while embodying the current contemporary style.

My roles · 1 Year (2019–2020)

End-to-end delivery: Research, design, documentation, collaboration and construction observation of the civil courtroom area under the project lead’s supervision.

Discover

Site analysis

One of my first steps was to analyse the site to identify constraints and SWOTs. The site is below ground level with windows right underneath the ceiling, which made the space feel like a basement. Luckily, the ceiling could be raised to make the future courtroom taller if I can carefully coordinate with the mechanical and structural engineers’ designs.

Existing site

Existing ceiling space

Precedent Studies

Before and during design, I studied courtrooms and architectural patterns to gather inspiration relevant to the brief requirements. Some of the studies findings include:

Using symmetry to create order and formality

Using light shafts to create height and depth

Using timber lattice and slats to add warmth, calmness and privacy

Ideate

Concept design

Issue: I developed the design through sketching, modelling and discussions with designers and engineers. One of the biggest challenges was incorporating the existing windows in the courtroom design. I initially proposed raising the ceiling to provide headroom for the windows and using slats and lattices to screen the windows for better privacy and softer lighting. However, the designs felt too busy and didn’t provide enough room for AC units.

Version 1 – Too many different materials, too long and monotonous

Version 2 – Lattice is too expensive, metal ceiling has poor acoustics

Solution: In later iterations, I proposed forming three monumental ceiling blocks and raising the rest of the ceiling to be tall and dramatic. The blocks provide cover and a sense of safety similar to AHC’s main historic courtroom’s canopy and provide space to house AC units. I used the same stamping motif to form portals around the windows to reference AHC’s façade.

Version 3 – Design language of the window portals and ceiling isn’t unified

Final version – Ceiling references historic courtroom’s canopy

Final version – Window portals reference the facade

Technical design

Issue: I consulted building code documents, material samples and technical product literature to produce code-compliant and feasible technical solutions for my design. We chose a specialised plastered acoustic ceiling and linear AC vents for their smooth and clean appearance. However, I later learned that the linear vents can't be mounted on the specialised ceiling's soft material.

Interior finishes board

Ceiling frame technical literature

Solution: I collaborated with technicians, SMEs and the mechanical engineer to design a bespoke solution that discreetly mounts the vents sideways around the top of the three ceiling blocks’ wall frames. We resolved other feasibility questions associated with this solution, such as: How do we support the AC units sideways? How do we build acoustic and seismic junctions between ceiling blocks and flat ceilings? How do we articulate bespoke details clearly in the construction drawings?

Proposed ceiling construction drawings

Construction – Linear vents are discreetly installed around the top of the ceiling blocks

Solution

Photos by Andy Spain

Impact

The Ministry of Justice property managers were “very impressed' by the civil courtroom’s outcome. The project managers described the project as “an overall success” during a ‘Lessons Learned’ workshop. Justice Cooper, an judge, described the outcome as “a wonderful place to work and the feeling of history is palpable in these lovely old spaces”. The project won two architectural awards and was nominated for one:

Heritage and Adaptive Reuses Property Merit Award · Property Council New Zealand
Auckland Architecture Awards Heritage Category Shortlist · NZ Institute of Architects
Award of Commendation · NZ Lighting Awards

Lessons Learned

Thorough client communication is crucial for project success

We didn’t fully understand some of the client’s requirements due to insufficient communication, a project handover and the ambiguity of using a reverse brief. Consequently, we proposed over-designed solutions that resulted in budget overruns and construction delays. Understanding client requirements and presenting solutions to clients in detail is vital for successful project delivery.

Learning best practices will increase productivity

My reluctance to learn more efficient documentation and CAD modelling methods due to time pressure also contributed to delayed deliverables. I will aim to be more open to investing time in learning more efficient practices.