Form and Function
The construction of the $115 million Kapolei Court Complex, which began in 2007, is a blend of modern art, modern technology and tons of concrete. The resulting three buildings — a four-story, 123,000-square-foot family court, a 60-bed juvenile detention facility and a central plant, all connected by hallways — is a solid, functional and attractive addition to Oahu’s “second city.”
It is also the culmination of more than 20 years of planning, especially by Hawaii State Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald T.Y. Moon, who championed the project.
“We appreciate the work of general contractor, Unlimited Construction Services, which, along with its many subcontractors, did a magnificent job in Kapolei, just as it did with the Kauai Judiciary Complex in 2003,” Moon says. “I am especially proud that the project was completed on time and within budget. … We also appreciate the fine design work by Architects Hawaii, Ltd. and INTEGRUS Architecture.”
The court building is comprised of a reinforced concrete frame with cast-in-place foundations, walls, columns, slabs and precast tri-tees. The exterior consists of more than 700 architectural precast panels, some that weigh as much as 45,000 pounds each. It houses 13 courtrooms, including one juried courtroom.
Complex Circumstances
Security concerns in both design and construction were paramount and created a high level of complexity, said Randy Finlay, president of Unlimited Construction.
State-of the-art technology throughout the complex includes alarm systems; security cameras; computer-controlled doors to areas where juvenile detainees dwell, are transported or held for court appearances; digital court recording systems and computer equipment for processing court-related documents. There are about a dozen separate communication rooms throughout the complex, each with thousands of wires and cables emanating from them.
“A three-part circulation system allows judges, staff, detainees and the public to move separately (throughout the building) with privacy and security,” explains David Bylund, AIA, LEED-AP, principal of Architects Hawaii. “(Also) the courtroom design ensures that judges can clearly see the faces of the people whose situations they are considering.”
In the medical wing of the juvenile detention facility, cells for youth who are feeling ill are equipped with negative pressure ventilation systems designed to prevent communicable germs and bacteria from circulating beyond those cells.
Bylund describes one of the goals of design: “Courthouses, in particular, do not see many casual encounters. It is a highly charged emotional environment, and we wanted each design element to support the balance between the formality of the judicial system and the familiarity desired for children and families.”
Use of local artwork throughout the building contributes to this balance.
Huge panes of art glass designed by local artist Doug Young and made in Germany depict ocean and coral scenes and are installed on the three highest floors of the court building, visible from outside and also from inside each courtroom. “It’s a mesmerizing work that helps fulfill our goal of providing a powerful serenity amid the stressful courthouse activity,” adds Bylund.
Kapa-inspired reliefs designed by Architects Hawaii embedded in the building exterior depict elements of the ahupuaa, the ancient Hawaiian system of sustainability. Roof tile colors of green, red and brown were chosen to blend with the surrounding hills of Kapolei.
“The artwork is intended to support the hope that family problems will be resolved in a positive way,” adds Peter Rosegg, commissioner for the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. “It evokes a sense of place that residents can relate to. It has a timeless beauty and a peaceful, calming effect.”
“To combine all these technical components into one design and still make it an attractive building, I commend Architects Hawaii,” comments Finlay.
Robust Standards
Behind the scenes of the contemporary design and materials, construction techniques had to be robust to meet the rigorous security standards.
For example: All walls of the court building, the juvenile detention facility and the corridors and elevators through which youth are transported are constructed either of concrete block with reinforcing steel in all cells and fully grouted or are constructed of heavily reinforced cast-in-place concrete walls. An independent quality control firm was hired to confirm the solidity by literally tapping on CMU blocks with a hammer to confirm that there were no voids.
Security precautions were mandated as part of the construction process as well, including the nonexistence of master keys for all security hardware, requiring that all doors be blocked open to prevent construction workers from becoming locked in.
In the central plant building, a cooling tower, chillers and air conditioning system allow the reuse of air throughout the complex by circulating cold water to chill the air, then returning the warmed water into the heat pumps to provide hot water for the housing units.
Unlimited reports there were no accidents on this project, an impressive accomplishment given the massive number of man-hours involved in the more than two-year project.
Finlay credits a strong, skilled team of subcontractors, many of whom Unlimited has worked with on prior projects, and expert project engineers and managers.
“We like working with the state,” Finlay said. “We had a lot of mutual understanding to allow the project to keep moving while numerous changes were being made.
“It is always satisfying to work on public works projects where the benefit is to the people of the state of Hawaii,” Finlay said.
The complex began opening in phases in February this year.
