We fitted this new courtroom, with adjoining judge’s chambers and jury deliberation room, into a vacant space in Washington County’s former jail (conveniently attached to the current courthouse). The courtroom is designed specifically to accommodate full criminal and civil cases while providing a gallery for 50. Aesthetically we took our cues from the room’s original shell, a mid-century modern structure built in the 1960s. We rely on light wood paneling and exposed concrete beams, which in our minds, imbues the dignified and impartial feel appropriate for the ideals of our judicial branch.