Yuma, Ariz., will have a landmark building at the center of its downtown when Sundt completes a new federal courthouse construction project there next spring. The John M. Roll United States Courthouse was named for Justice John M. Roll, a federal judge who was killed in the January 2011 attack on former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson. It will replace an outdated facility and is expected to help stimulate economic reinvestment in the area.
With a goal of earning LEED Gold certification and a distinctly modern look, the building’s design is a departure from the traditional American courthouse and a big step toward sustainability. Locally sourced sandstone and masonry, installed by Sundt’s own crews, cover the building’s exterior. Inside, “living walls” of vines are being planted on steel trellises to shade windows and fans are being installed for maximum ventilation. In the entryway is a 10,000-square-foot canopy made of photovoltaic panels that will provide shade while generating up to one quarter of the building’s electrical needs.
The 60,000-square-foot, two-story building will be shared by the U.S. Marshals Service and the United States federal courts. Both entities have high security needs, but they have very different building requirements that the team has to accommodate and coordinate, along with Yuma’s own requirements.