CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.— Albemarle County’s newly opened courthouse in downtown Charlottesville marks a significant milestone in civic architecture and community planning. Located within historic Court Square, the modern facility replaces aging infrastructure dating back to 1762, addressing long-standing space, safety, and operational needs. A key feature of the project was the restoration of the Levy House, an 1860s Greek Revival landmark that has served as everything from a Civil War hospital to an opera house—now repurposed as the County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office.
The courthouse project, designed by Fentress Studios, a Populous Company (who also served as court planner), officially launched in 2020 as a collaborative, two-phase effort with Albemarle County. Spanning several downtown sites, the new complex introduces nearly 80,000 square feet of functional space—including courtrooms, offices, and public areas—to meet the demands of a growing population and rising caseloads.
Fentress Studios guided the planning process through data analysis and stakeholder input, engaging judges, law enforcement, and court staff. Architecturally, the building marries practicality with modern aesthetics, featuring extensive glasswork to enhance daylight and public visibility.
More than just a facility upgrade, this courthouse stands as a symbol of civic progress—respecting its historic roots while embracing the evolving needs of the community it serves.
The new courthouse is actually Phase 1 of a two-phase project that is expected to reach full completion in 2027. Justice Design News touched base with the highly esteemed Steven White, FAIA, LEED AP, studio director and senior principal with Fentress Studios, for some of the key details on this historic undertaking.
Can you provide a basic overview of the Albermarle Courts Complex project, such as approximate start dates, project completion, square footage and design overview?
The Project is organized into two phases on two adjacent historic sites in historic Court Square in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia. Phase 1 (East Site) includes the Albemarle County General District Court, the City of Charlottesville General District Court, supporting clerks’ offices, judges’ chambers, two hearing rooms, detainee holding and movement, support services, and secure parking within a new two story plus basement masonry clad structure. The new building is framed between an existing 1790s tavern (now occupied by a private club) and the 1850s historic Levy House, which is also part of the project. The Levy building, originally an opera house, underwent a full rehabilitation and exterior restoration housing the Commonwealth Attorneys offices on three floors. Phase 1 is nominally 60,000 square feet of new and renovated space. The building entrance is pushed back from the street, creating an accessible plaza with generous space for seating and bicycle parking. The building addition is designed to be deferential to its historic neighbors in scale and massing. The building uses a tripartite arrangement expressed in brick, cast stone, and glass fiber reinforced concrete. Details have modern overtones including large, glazed openings, abstracted classical arrangements, and a steel and glass portico entrance. Elliptical forms found in the plaza, the lobby atrium, and the courtrooms evoke unity and a collaborative spirit desired for its occupants.
Phase 2 (West Site) includes the Albemarle County Circuit Court, judges’ chambers, jury assembly, clerks’ offices, detainee holding and movement, and ancillary support spaces. The venerable site includes the 1803 original courthouse where Presidents Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe all practiced law. The building underwent several small additions throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. A county administrative building was constructed in the 1930s and is being modernized, renovated, and restored (on the exterior). Between the two buildings is a connecting structure built in the 1980s to be expanded as part of the project. Total area is nominally 35,000 square feet of renovated and expanded space. The addition is intentionally referential to the 1980s infill building to be quiet in its form and expression, giving the stage to the original courthouse.
Design began in summer of 2020 for both the East and West Sites. Phase 1 construction started in 2023 and Phase 2 is scheduled to be complete in 2027.
What was the biggest challenge from a design perspective and how did you approach it?
There were two unprecedented significant hurdles the project underwent in the past five years. The project started just as we were entering the COVID pandemic. Normal protocols for communication and in-person meetings were completely disrupted. A resilient solution was necessary to get a design consensus and to coordinate with our engineers. I can specifically remember field measuring for two days with masks on and keeping distance from others. This was not ideal for starting a complex historic project. The second major hurdle was significant inflationary adjustments to the cost of the project while in design. This caused delays between design phases and significant value engineering efforts and cuts. We are grateful to the County for working with the design team through challenges many of us haven’t seen in our careers (and hope we don’t again).
How did the collaborative aspects of the project go and who were some of your key partners?
The consultant team has been terrific to work with throughout this process. They have all gone above and beyond to provide service to the county. Collaborators include: Fentress, Inc. (programming/planning); Fentress Architects (design, AOR, interiors); DGP Architects (local support and historic restoration); Timmons Group (civil engineering); RHI (landscape design); Thornton Tomasetti (structural and physical security); Newcomb & Boyd (MEP/FP/low voltage/electronic security/acoustics); MCLA (lighting design); SGH (envelope); Campbell Consulting (code). The builder of Phase 1 is Grunley Construction.
Did this project reflect any significant trends in current justice design?
The decision the County and City made to work within their historic Court Square I cannot overemphasize. There are many compelling reasons to move courts functions out into the suburbs away from urban cores, historic overlay districts, complex and aging infrastructure, and physically tight urban spaces. By going through the pain of designing new and renovated structures in this environment, I believe, will prove to be a long-lasting improvement that will ripple into the fabric of downtown Charlottesville for decades to come. Not to mention the impacts to embodied carbon, building reuse, harnessing existing multimodal transit, etc. The place where the government does its work will remain in the heart of a mixed-use environment where people live, work, and relax. The original courthouse has a bell that once rang in the cupola signaling to the community that the jury had reached a verdict. Today the bell is rung whenever a family adoption occurs by the new parents. That tradition will remain thanks to the vision and leadership of Albemarle County.
Photo Credit: Fentress Studios
