• The San Diego Federal Courthouse_1
    1 / 6
  • The San Diego Federal Courthouse_2
    2 / 6
  • The San Diego Federal Courthouse_3
    3 / 6
  • The San Diego Federal Courthouse_4
    4 / 6
  • The San Diego Federal Courthouse_5
    5 / 6
  • The San Diego Federal Courthouse_6
    6 / 6

U.S. Federal Courthouse

Civic
San Diego, California

Client: General Services Administration (GSA)
Architect: Richard Meier & Partners Architects
Completion: 2012
LEED Gold®

San Diego’s new federal courthouse covers 2.6 urban acres with a build program that links new and existing federal buildings. The architectural massing on the courthouse combines a slender and elegant 16-story tower that rises above a transparent and translucent building base. The tower is clad in layers of terra cotta and glass composed in response to the program and orientation. The ultra-thin massing supports sustainable design strategies to daylight most of the building, including the courtrooms which receive filtered daylight from both the east and the west.

The San Diego Federal Courthouse was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) Gold certification from the US Green Building Council.