High-Tech Security Backs
Up Historic Facade At Spotsylvania County Courthouse
Spotsylvania, Virginia
Building a new courthouse in
an area rich in Civil War history is a challenge
in meeting today's high-tech security and operating
needs while maintaining the appearance and feeling
of a bygone era. The recently dedicated court facility
in Spotsylvania, Virginia is an example of how this
can be accomplished successfully while also operating
within a realistic budget.
Architect's rendering shows
"village" concept of new Spotsylvania
courthouse, with facade connecting three separate
elements into a single 60,000 sq. ft. complex.
Now the fastest-growing county
in Virginia, the Spotsylvania area was the site
of some of the most terrible, and costly, clashes
during the Civil War. Ranging from the siege of
Fredericksburg to fierce hand-to-hand combat at
Spotsylvania Courthouse, the battles resulted in
more than 100,000 casualties for the Union and Confederate
forces. The Courthouse itself served as General
Robert E. Lee's headquarters during the battle.
Until recently, the old courthouse continued to
house the county's judicial functions. However,
the area's rapid growth and the antiquated facilities
cried out for a new courthouse that could provide
the space and security needed to accommodate continued
expansion. The challenge was to meet these needs
without detracting from the character of the historical
setting.
Spotsylvania, founded by Virginia's Colonial Governor
Alexander Spotswood as the "gateway to the
West" in 1721, is the seat of government for
Spotsylvania County, an area of approximately 400
sq. mi. with a population of 75,000. Fueled by an
influx of people drawn from Washington and northern
Virginia by a lower cost of living, the region's
fast growth quickly outpaced the abilities of the
historic judicial facility.
The original 7,000 sq. ft. courthouse and approximately
15,000 sq. ft. of additional annexes that grew up
around it were too small to house the Circuit Court,
General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations
District Court, the Clerk of Court, land records,
the Commonwealth's Attorney, and the juvenile probation
unit. Logistics and security arrangements were rooted
firmly in the last century. Douglas C. Walker, Deputy
County Administrator, explains, "You walked
into the old Circuit Courtroom right off the street.
There was no security vestibule, no metal detectors,
or anything else."
Entrance security to judges'
chambers is provided by Von Duprin 7000 Access Control
System. Small card reader is unobtrusive next to
door that allows separate entry.
A new building planned to
replace it had to complement the historic perspective
of the area. A subsequent renovation of the original
courthouse would then bring its annex more in
line with the original architecture. "This
is a destination for people coming to view Civil
War history," Walker points out, "so
the county is very sensitive to the architecture,
maintaining the appearance but still using the
building."
In this framework, the design
was established for a new courthouse that would
retain the historic nature of its village location
while providing space and serviceability to meet
current and future needs. "We originally
designed it as one building, but we felt it was
too large to fit in with the complex," recalls
architect Elliott Law, of The Moseley McClintock
Group, Richmond, Virginia. "It was redesigned
and broken into three components connected by
a brick arcade. The building committee was very
involved and interested in the details, right
down to the dimensions of the window mullions
and the special shapes of the bricks." General
contractor for the project was Falls Church Construction
Company, Falls Church, Virginia.
Walker adds, "The new
court facility is a beautiful building with a
lot of very detailed masonry work that is appropriate
for the character of this village, but it's a
high-tech, very sophisticated court system, with
secure prisoner holding areas and a card reader
access control system for the judges."
The card reader system adds
state-of-the-art access control capabilities to
the historically oriented building. Selected for
the installation was a Von Duprin 7000 Access
Control System, which combines fast, easy programming
with a high degree of control flexibility. It
can provide many options of time, day, date and
zone control to suit specific and everchanging
security needs.
Initially, it will provide
a means of securing passage for the judges and
the Commonwealth's attorney, through separate
outside entrances to their chambers that are accessible
only to these individuals and their authorized
staff members. Walker explains, "The public
enters from the front of the building, but the
judges enter from the back so they are not interacting
with members of the public, like witnesses, family
members, or jurors."
"There's no mixing
of staff, public, or prisoners," Law states.
"It's a cardinal rule in all courthouse designs
to provide three separate circulation patterns
for those groups. Here, we separate staff and
public on a horizontal plane, but prisoner circulation
is achieved vertically through secured elevators
and an underground tunnel that connects all the
buildings. The only place where all three come
together is in the courtroom."
"We could have used
a key system," Walker notes, "but the
card readers are a more sophisticated, technologically
advanced way of providing access quicker and with
better security. We don't have to worry about
somebody copying a key or using a master key to
get in." For future security needs, the system
has the capability of canceling cards immediately
if an individual leaves the staff, providing tight
authorization control.
Because the card system
can be programmed to allow a card to provide access
only through a specific door, it may also be used
to give separate access to jurors. "We looked
at ways to get jury members into the back of the
building without having to put a security person
at the door," Walker notes. "One way
is to issue cards that are programmed to allow
them to use a specific door for a certain time
period. When their jury service is over, we can
then invalidate the card."
Even in a historically sensitive
area, there is a need for this type of high-tech
security, but it can't look high-tech. "You
have to be creative in hiding it," Walker
emphasizes. The small card readers at the doors
blend in well, placed in locations that are convenient
without attracting attention.
Spotsylvania's new 60,000
sq. ft. courthouse building was built at a cost
of about $6 million, a remarkable achievement
considering the heavy use of masonry construction
and the details involved. "We probably bid
it at the best time in the construction market,"
Walker says. "Work was scarce, and the contractors
and sub-contractors were anxious to get the work,
but the quality is excellent. It's difficult in
this day and age to design and build a building
like this, with the arcade across the front and
the big white columns."
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