SOUTHWEST JUSTICE CENTER JUVENILE COURTHOUSE

As a part of 48-acres Southwest Justice Center of California Superior Court, a landscape design for the new Juvenile Courthouse with a combination of drought tolerant planting, ‘bomb blast’ defensive landscape, and artistically placed locally available boulders to eliminate an imposing feeling of anxiousness on the site. The landscape’s hardscape design symbolized the democratic system while representing people’s dignity as individuals through irregular seating boulders. The courthouse’s authority is defined through the architectural design, which is further reflected in the layout of the ground plane. Palettes of low-water and native California plantings in various textures and colors are simply presented, providing a continuous field to serve as the basis of the courthouse building and delineating an equal plane for all visitors.