Richard J. Daronco Westchester County Courthouse

White Plains, New York

Replacing a wind-swept plaza at the base of an existing courts tower, the new Criminal and Family Court Annex embraces an outdoor garden that has become the emblematic public space of the courts complex.

Civic & Institutional
Renovation & Expansion

The facility houses County Courts, a Family Court, and the Department of Probation, providing much needed courtroom facilities and enhanced security for judges, jurors, litigants, staff, and the public. The building’s curved curtain wall encloses a new internal garden that has become the defining feature of the courthouse, greeting visitors, and providing a focus for the encircling public circulation galleries. Vertical public circulation for the criminal court is dramatized by its insertion into the garden, while the stair for the family court is filled with natural light and offers views out into the civic center.

Site

A key site directly west of the existing Civil Courthouse tower and adjacent to the public library located in downtown White Plains
Components

243,000 ft² / 23,000 m² new construction plus 293,000 ft² / 27,200 m² renovation; new and expanded court facilities to house County Courts, Family Court, and the Department of Probation, including courtrooms, offices, public circulation and reception, separate secure circulation systems; judges’ chambers
Client

Dormitory Authority of the State of New York
PCF Services

Site planning, architecture; exterior envelope; interior design of public spaces