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Historic City Looks to the Future

Accessibility, security, dignity and sustainability for the citizens of Lowell and Massachusetts

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Lowell Justice Center

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Lowell, Massachusetts

Located within the Lowell National Historic Park, this new Justice Center forms the cornerstone of Lowell’s Hamilton Canal District development master plan. The project was the largest of three pilot studies for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM)s ZNE initiatives. The courthouse is designed to use 40% the energy of a typical facility. A tight building envelope, coupled with glazing that maximizes daylighting, chilled beams and displacement ventilation, and photo-voltaic panels; are some of the many sustainable features. Lowell Justice Center has just been awarded LEED Platinum and is the first courthouse in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to receive this certification!

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Size
265,000 SF
Scope
New Construction
Program
Courtrooms, Judicial Suites, Clerk + Probation Areas, Detainee Areas, Registry of Deeds and Public Lobbies
Sustainability
LEED Platinum
Awards
ACEC Silver Award Honoring Outstanding Professional Design Excellence for ZNE Study
In the news
Lowell Justice Center Opens to the Public
A Courthouse Worth Judging
Side view of the Lowell Justice Center, featuring a non-symmetrical window pattern on stone.
View of the Lowell Justice Center's entry from the left, with blue skies.
View of the Lowell Justice Center in the background, with traditional Lowell brick mill buildings in the foreground on both sides of the canal.
Frontal view of the Lowell Justice Center, featuring red, orange, yellow and green figures on the entry artwork.
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“Once opening day goes by and the full season starts it’s going to be cool. I think people are going to be very happy about being here.”
Michael Sullivan, Middlesex County Clerk of Courts, in the Lowell Sun Times

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Inviting lobby of the Lowell Justice Center defined by tube-like lights, colorful art on the glass facade, and wooden accents.,
Two people sitting on benches in the corridor overlooking Lowell Justice Center's light-filled and warm lobby.
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Public art enlivens the lobby’s two-story glazed wall. Designed by artist Martin Donlin, the glass mural features symbols of justice, recalls the historic “mill girls,” and Lowell’s new industries. Messages in four languages speak to the diverse origins of Lowell's residents.

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Frontal view of large courtroom, with tall, floor-to-ceiling windows on the left, and warm wood furniture.
Lowell Justice Center, Court Service Center and Law Library, with a wooden service desk underneath the sign, and and brick buildings visible through the windows.
Courtroom number 10 of the Lowell Justice Center with wooden benches in the foreground and a glass staircase in the background.
Corridor outside of courtrooms, with wooden benches and an expansive view of Lowell from the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Back of of the Lowell Justice Center featuring columns of glass and stone, reflecting off the water in the canal in the foreground.
Spacious wooden office desks framed by a corner of floor-to-ceiling glass windows with a view onto the city of Lowell.
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“It’s beautiful!”
Ken Davis, Chief Court Officer, in the Lowell Sun Times‍
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