Tomochichi Federal Courthouse Expansion
Combining 21st century design needs with historic relevance.
Project Facts
| Location | Savannah, Georgia |
| Owner | U.S. General Services Administration |
| Size | 46,000 SF |
| Cost | $27.8 million |
| Status | Completed 2021 |
Overview
Savannah’s late 19th-century Tomochichi Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse needed more space to meet the judiciary’s needs for security, accessibility, and operational efficiency. A new annex was planned for an adjacent lot located in the National Historic Landmark District. Walter P Moore provided structural engineering services for the new building, which honors the historic fabric of the city while providing a diverse range of spaces and seismic resistance for the courthouse’s operations.
Services
Challenges
Diverse Spatial Requirements
The three-story annex demanded a mix of column-free spaces, short and long spans for small offices and large courtrooms, and a complex rooftop equipment layout.
Seismic Design Compliance
Due to Savannah’s geography and the region’s soil composition, the building’s structure had to follow ASCE 7 seismic design parameters within the framework of other architectural constraints.
Contextual Sensitivity
The neighborhood’s landmark status necessitated a structure that could support the additional loads of a stone, brick, and glass facade to cohere with the surrounding historic architecture.
Solutions
Designing for Adaptability
To ensure compatibility across different levels and layouts, we devised a steel frame structure that covered a wide range of spans and used column transfers to shift structural loads for added resilience.
Detail-Oriented Analysis
Walter P Moore considered many design and loading conditions and conducted careful analysis of all column transfers and seismic requirements to ensure code compliance at all levels.
Coordination And Consolidation
We developed a variety of unique edge details for the façade and coordinated connections with the perimeter. This helped balance the intricate relationship between structure and architecture.
Results
Optimizing Project Outcomes
The structural design for the courthouse annex accommodated the unique footprint of each floor level, catering to the spatial requirements of all its judicial and procedural functions.
Resilient Design
Our detail-oriented approach to structural analysis and quality control ensured that the building addressed all necessary seismic code requirements alongside its unique design and loading conditions.
Preserving Local Heritage
With the support of our resilient structural design, the new annex folds all the features of a 21st-century courts facility into a stone and brick exterior that complements the area’s surrounding architecture
Project Team Leaders
