Broward County Courthouse Awarded LEED Gold

LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Broward County Courthouse has earned high marks from the U.S. Green Building Council (USCBC) for its strong environmental performance and sustainable design, receiving LEED Gold certification.

Opened in early 2017, the 740,000-square-foot courthouse in downtown Ft. Lauderdale is designed to use about 22 percent less energy and 38 percent less water than a typical building of its size and purpose. The courthouse incorporates daylight harvesting system controls to maximize energy efficiency and lower operating costs while the use of natural light and sustainable materials provide for a pleasant and functional workspace.

The Broward County Courthouse LEED Certification sets the stage for implementing the vision shared by the county, and all project stakeholders, in providing a sustainable facility for the 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. The new facility reinforces the County’s commitment to provide the best possible facility to meet the region’s growing population.

CBRE | Heery, as part of a Joint Venture with AECOM and Cartaya & Associates, provided master planning, architecture (shell and core), Mechanical (waterside) & Electrical engineering, and LEED consulting. The County’s original goal for the project was to achieve Silver LEED level, however the project team’s ambitious design excelled in delivering a Gold-level building.

The 20-story courthouse occupies a 1.55-acre portion of an existing 18-acre justice campus and is one of the few courthouses in the U.S. to include all courts. One particular challenge in creating a LEED facility involved the corresponding need for this tower to be hurricane resistant. LEED encourages extensive use of windows and natural light — the very things that become obstacles to withstanding gale-force winds and flying debris. The team used laminated hurricane-resistant glass wherever possible, providing protection during storms while allowing daylight into areas where the most people would spend most of their time, such as the administrative and State’s Attorney’s offices, and reducing the need for artificial lighting. Conference rooms are also distinguished by extensive use of glass. In addition to the glass, the team was able to identify enough LEED points by specifying highly efficient mechanical systems, native plants and low VOC construction materials and furniture throughout.

A full-service architecture, engineering, interior design, construction management and program management firm, CBRE | Heery has 19 offices throughout the U.S.

CBRE Group, Inc., a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm based on 2017 revenue.