The architectural design concept can be summarized as an analysis and optimization of the three forces that uniquely shape this facility and the impact each of these contribute to its cost. The driving force in the functional layout of this building is the operational efficiency of the courts. Paired courtrooms with adjacent chambers served by a common secure core dictate floor plate, vertical circulation and the distribution of support spaces.
Adjacent chambers allow for operational efficiencies and shared resources.
Maximum building security is achieved by stepping back the court floors from the two story base. The site presents several ambiguities which this building design attempts to resolve. The site borders both an historic residential district and the major commercial street. The breakdown of the building massing allows the lower floors to have a scalar relationship with the residential structures across Montgomery and Fifth street while the upper floors relate to the midrise commercial buildings that front Madison Street. The orientation of public entry, public lobbies and the judicial chambers acknowledge the vehicular and pedestrian approaches to the site as well as optimizing views to the Cincinnati skyline and Ohio river.