Integrated Control Network Means Security and Comfort at Affordable Cost for New County Courthouse

摘要

Visitors to the Bernalillo County Courthouse enjoy daylit, open spaces and striking views of the Sandia Mountains. They don't see the sophisticated technology that keeps them safe and comfortable ― while saving tax dollars ― by integrating multiple building functions. A courthouse is a complex building. It must accommodate daily visitors, judges and their staffs, and people being detained ― while keeping those groups separated. And it must operate efficiently to conserve tax dollars. Bernalillo County met those challenges in its eight-story, 272,000-square-foot courthouse, which opened in August 2001. The new facility will fulfill the county's needs until at least 2020. Built with two wings off a central atrium, the courthouse provides large open spaces, daylit from the northeast. Public areas include comfortable gathering places and courtroom waiting areas, decorated with more than $1 million worth of art. Judicial quarters are card-access-controlled with private hallways, restrooms and coffee bars. Jail cells on the lower level and holding areas between courtrooms are highly secure.