Domenici Federal Courthouse
Domenici Federal Courthouse
Albuquerque, NM
One of the first efforts in a federal initiative to create sustainable government landscapes, this renovation of the Domenici Courthouse in downtown Albuquerque transforms a space once comprised of impervious concrete expanses and water-intensive lawns and fountains. The new landscape is reorganized with a woven pattern of terraced walls and native, xeric plantings, drawing on Pueblo patternmaking and the rich tapestry of Albuquerque’s irrigation canals, crops, and ecology. Within this revised landscape, water collection, filtration, distribution, aquifer recharge, and on-site material reuse create an integrated oasis that is comfortable, sustainable, and educational.
Drawing on the site’s history as a public park, decomposed granite pathways and varied seating options provide a range of gathering spaces to support interactions at multiple scales. The design includes educational features like rainwater cistern level-indicators, and a detailed Maintenance Plan was included in the contract documents to ensure the long-term health of the site.
The design’s creative re-use of materials, comprehensive water management program, and adoption of solar power demonstrates how any site can be reimagined to more efficiently use public and natural resources to reflect our collective values. The result fulfilled the client’s desire for improved site efficiency and economic viability, as well as the creation of a park-like setting that connects the landscape back into the community.
While at RCHS, Unknown Studio’s Nick Glase co-lead the design on the project from Schematic Design through Construction Documentation.
This project represents the first federal project in the U.S. to participate in the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES).
Project timeline: 2009-2012
Client: United States General Services Agency
Scope: Full design services
Size: 3.3 acres
Budget: $3,000,000 (landscape)
With: Rios Clementi Hale Studios, Nick Glase, Landscape Designer (Concept – 65% Construction Documentation)
Consultants: KPFF Structural Eng., Natural Systems Inc.
Awards & Recognition:
Two-Star SITES Certification Landscape Architecture Foundation
Landscape Performance Series case study project, 2014
