April 9, 2026

Designing for demand: how adaptive reuse is reshaping Pierce County’s justice system

Dyson

Across the country, justice systems are rethinking how and where they operate. Faced with aging facilities, evolving security standards, and constrained public funding, many jurisdictions are turning to adaptive reuse as a strategic alternative to new construction.

Rather than building from the ground up, communities are reinvesting in existing structures, modernizing them to meet today’s operational, safety and public access needs. In Pierce County, this growing trend is playing out in real time through the transformation of two longstanding downtown Tacoma buildings into a reimagined Justice Center and Administration Building.

PURPOSEFUL SEPARATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND JUDICIAL

Photos courtesy of KMB Architects [enlarge]

New county council chambers were relocated from the ninth floor of the CCB building to the first floor of the 1501 Market building.

The Pierce County Justice Center and Administration Building project exemplifies what is possible with architectural expertise, innovation and integrity. Administrative and judicial functions had been operating under one roof, and as each department faced growth limitations, Pierce County selected KMB architects to find a viable solution.

After conducting a series of thorough needs studies and master plans, KMB and Pierce County identified that it would be best to renovate the existing building for judicial services, and move administrative departments to a different building. After KMB’s research and due diligence, Pierce County purchased the 1501 Market Street building in Tacoma to serve as the Administration Building, and soon relocated all administrative, executive, and legislative operations, including finance, communications and facilities management offices. With ample space vacated, judicial services now had plenty of room to consolidate their departments and add additional courtrooms to properly meet their operational needs.

Both buildings are older and therefore come with their own set of challenges and issues. The new Market Street building was originally built in the 1990s, while the original combined building dated back to sometime in the 1950s.

Throughout the renovation of both buildings, high priority was placed on adopting a coherent visual identity for these spaces. KMB Partner Bill Valdez, who led this project, shares, “The key element we were focusing on was uniformity and consistency, since some parts of the building are over 50 years old while others have been updated within the last decade. We borrowed design vocabulary from the renovations that occurred in the last 10 years, including our District Court renovations in 2018 and 2019. This helped us create a color palette, feel, and design context that could be applied to balance the building.”

MAXIMIZING EXISTING SPACE FOR SUCCESSFUL AR

[enlarge]

A new superior court, family court hearing room and judges’ chambers were constructed on the seventh floor of the CCB building, with full video court capabilities and views of the city of Tacoma.

The most important aspect of an adaptive reuse project such as this is working within the constraints of an existing structure, especially with a limited budget partially funded through ARPA. Valdez and the KMB project team worked diligently to efficiently prioritize needs for both spaces to ensure each department would be functional after the expansion. “A big part is asking what we can do with the space that we have available,” Valdez said.

Expectations were consistently managed with this perspective, supporting design decisions made three years before the project was even started. Through back-channeling with Pierce County, KMB was able to confidently proceed with stakeholder buy-in and a clear direction from involved departments to ensure everyone had a tangible takeaway.

ELEVATED FUNCTION AND SAFETY OF PUBLIC SPACES

Renamed the Justice Center, the original building benefitted from the addition of five courtrooms for the District Court and Superior Court, with special attention paid to the unique functions of these distinct judicial operations.

When KMB designed and renovated Pierce County District Courts years prior, they unknowingly set the new desired baseline for Pierce County in developing all future courts. This helped significantly in simplifying the design process by mimicking the existing courts, which allowed for more focus to be placed on the balance of the spaces to elevate the design. Despite the constrained footprint, KMB constructed the new courtrooms and successfully integrated modern public lobbies and waiting areas to create inviting places for the public.

The Justice Center was strategically updated to address some longstanding security concerns, specifically the way people moved from place to place. Valdez says, “Security was a major driver for the judicial building since there was a need to separate three circulation paths for staff, the public and those in custody.”

This aspect of the project proved challenging due to the existing layout, and KMB offered creative solutions to mindfully rearrange the spaces to better meet the needs of these three distinct groups of people. The result minimized transportation of people in-custody from the jail through public hallways, and streamlined access and workflow for staff. Further, modern security measures were put in place such as security cameras, key card access, lock-down functions and delayed egress doors, all of which contributed to a safer space for all.

THOUGHTFUL JUSTICE DESIGN THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Pierce County has demonstrated a deep commitment to serving community members through their continued interest in improving public spaces and services. Terrence Bills of the KMB team supported Contract Execution for the project and shared his gratitude for the opportunity to work with Pierce County.

“Pierce County cares about its people, so being able to support them in better connecting to their community is very rewarding,” Bills said. “We worked closely with various stakeholders and departments to get everyone’s input, and we were able to be light on our feet to manage consistent buy-in to give Pierce County the end product they need.”

The Administration Building renovations have been completed, and the updated space is currently open to the public. The Justice Center is still in its final stages of remodeling, with plans to open sometime in 2026.

Heather Dyson is the marketing coordinator for KMB Architects.

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