1990-2007 / 132 projects / 17+ years

BBL has maintained a long standing relationship with Clark County. For 13 years Clark County relied on our expertise on over 65 projects; ranging from ADA upgrades and consulting to a $22.4 million Public Service Center. In 1997, we developed a master plan for the county in order to locate a new 911. These plans lead to the acquisition of significant property. The master plan was updated again, with significant public input, to determine if a low, medium or high density approach was the best over the long term. A high density approach was selected and this drove the following projects in order to consolidate county functions and departments:

• Remodel and expansion to the existing Juvenile Justice Center
• Construction of the new six story Public Service Center and parking structure
• Remodel of the existing Courthouse after the removal of all non-court functions
• Remodel of the existing building to house Elections and Auto Licensing
• Remodel of the existing building to house the Prosecuting attorneys

The latest master plan update was to test if a new justice facility, courthouse and adequate parking could be provided on the existing campus property.

2003 / new construction , LEED certified / 164,000 SF

This project was motivated by the need to vacate the existing courthouse of all non-court functions, allowing for much needed court expansion. As architects, we participated in various alternatives for accommodating these functions. Thinking ‘big’ resulted in collocating 17 county departments from the courthouse and numerous surrounding leased office spaces into a single location. The result: 164,000 SF in six stories. This concept not only provided better service for the public and efficiency for staff, but will also save the County the cost of the project over the life of the bond. The primary goal of the exterior design for the Public Service Center was to create a building that would contribute to the earlier Master Plan concept; creating a more unified campus.

The result is a building echoing beautiful Art Deco elements complimented by strong lines, materials and colors. This is a straightforward solution creating a dynamic relationship to existing buildings while maintaining its own significant identity within the campus.

Sustainability Goals

The County Commissioners encourage sustainable design for local development and saw this building as an opportunity to ‘lead by example’. The building was the 79th building in the US and Canada to achieve LEED certification. Energy efficient equipment and extensive controls provided great cost saving potential. The building contains extensive recycled and sustainable materials both in the construction and furnishings. The concept of a quality working environment was strongly supported through use of natural light, protecting air quality, extensive commissioning, and ongoing monitoring systems. Indoor air quality was a key determinate in material selections and installation procedures.

2001 / new construction / 27,900 sf

The Juvenile Justice Center, completed in 2001, exceeded community standards by maintaining a vital community asset in a downtown location, incorporating public art as part of the building, and involving the youth in the design process. The design team consolidated County services, enhanced accessibility, and achieved a safe and humane environment within a secure building. A strong focus of the design process was to add natural light, functionality and layout efficiency to improve the overall facility. To complicate matters, the architect and contractor were challenged to achieve a smooth transition of construction phases while maintaining the day to day work operations of the existing facility. Sensitive to the area and the community, the team, researched and used building materials and elements sympathetic and similar to the properties on the site with the idea of blending the sites together to create a campus feeling. Finally, to enhance the community, an abstract tile mural is featured on the west exterior wall of the completed facility. The mural is a collaboration of the design team, and the youth involved in the center. The mural is a symbolic, emotional, and gripping splash of color, which enhances the design features of the building and creates an urban presence in a downtown city block.

1995-1997 / remodel, upgrades

As part of the four phased Clark County campus development project, the existing building which now houses Clark County Elections and Auto Licensing was given a major rehabilitation and interior remodel in order to bring one more County department to the newly defined campus. Situated on the corner adjacent to the Public Service Center, it preserves the original building footprint with the addition of an elevator. Arched elements, metal paneling, and brick were integrated into the new exterior architectural language which ties the newly renovated image to other campus buildings.

1990-2006 / 12 projects / 19,756 sf

In 1990, we developed a master plan for the county in order to locate a new 911 Communications/Dispatch Center for police, fire and emergency medical services in Clark County, Washington . The plan determined that the best location for the facility would be on county property within the county campus.

The plan lead to the acquisition of land. During which time we designed a significant remodel of the current 911 facility in order to temporarily maintain the functions of the agency.

Programming, full architectural and interior design services for the design and construction of a new 911 facility within the county campus were then implemented and construction of the new facility was completed in 1996. The design compliments the neighboring campus facilities and streetscape by echoing the Art Deco detailing of the County Courthouse.

Since its completion, we have provided ongoing architectural services. We have remodeled the administration area as well as the office area as the needs have changed. The Multi-purpose/EOC flex space was converted into a permanent emergency operations center. As a joint venture by the county and city, a 3,600 SF addition for the computer /data server equipment was constructed. The radio tower was replaced and blast resistance studies to the building have been implemented.

A Master Plan update for the Clark County Campus was executed to test if future required Justice Facilities, necessary to accommodate growth, could be located on the campus. Three building components were included. A Justice Center with the Sheriff’s administration is proposed as a five story 250,000 sf structure. The second Courts Building is proposed as a six story 200,000 sf structure. The third component is a three story, 450 space parking structure. A second parking structure, identified in a previous master plan, would provide an additional 550 spaces.

All three structures are connected to each other and interconnected through an elevated, secure skybridge to the existing Justice Center. Significant remodels are proposed for the existing Justice Center and Courthouse.

The new Justice Center and Courts Building are conceived as using the same materials and similar forms as the Public Service Center and other campus buildings.