St. Tammany Parish Courthouse & Master Plan
The St. Tammany Parish Courthouse is located just outside New Orleans on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain in Covington, Louisiana.
PGAL welcomed the challenge of designing a civic building appropriate for the town’s downtown historic district, while also maintaining a judicial image of solemnity.
The 300,000-square-foot courthouse houses 14 courtrooms, as well as offices for the district attorney, sheriff, parish clerk, indigent defenders, tax assessor, and several other parish departments.
Since the complex includes both governmental offices and the parish courthouse, the facility required a high level of security for the court facility while also allowing public access to certain areas. PGAL balanced these needs by segregating non-secure functions on the first floor and controlling access to all vertical circulation behind two secure access points. This, along with the stacking of court functions, created a highly efficient layout that accommodates the various needs of the parish government and its citizens.
Features Include:
- Design that fits the town’s downtown historic district while maintaining a judicial image of solemnity
- 14 courtrooms, plus offices for the district attorney, sheriff, parish clerk, indigent defenders, tax assessor, and several other parish departments
- Mix of secure and non-secure areas to accommodate the various needs of the parish government and its citizens