New San Joaquin Courthouse Project Employs High Degree of Collaboration, Planning and Technology

Turner Construction reached the approximate halfway point this summer on the new San Joaquin County Courthouse. Photo courtesy Ron Chapman, Stockton Police Department Historical Archives

By Carol Eaton The City of Stockton’s skyline is under-

going a dramatic transformation with the emergence of the new 14-story, $272 mil- lion San Joaquin County Courthouse, now under construction by Turner Construc- tion Company. Slated to be the tallest structure in San

Joaquin County when complete, the proj- ect hit a key milestone this May when the structural steel building topped out just a year after groundbreaking. The new facility will replace the existing 1960s-era court- house that sits immediately adjacent to it. This summer, the project team marked

the approximate halfway point on a proj- ect in which they have employed the lat- est design and construction technology, a high degree of collaboration among team members, and extremely detailed, down- to-the-minute planning and scheduling. Seattle-based architect NBBJ and con-

struction manager AECOM, along with owner, the Judicial Council of California, have worked collaboratively with Turner to overcome various hurdles and to move the project forward throughout design, plan- ning, preconstruction, and now the con- struction phase.

Modern, Open Design When completed in November of 2016, the new courthouse will offer a vastly dif-

10 September/October 2015

ferent experience for its end-users than the aging, existing structure that it replaces. The building’s modern design features soaring 17.6-ft. floor-to-ceiling heights and a five-story open air atrium with a glass curtainwall exterior extending up the east side, all contributing to the spacious and light-filled interior environment. The first two floors of the new structure

contain administrative and office space, while floors 3-11 comprise 30 courtrooms (of which 28 are being built out in Turner’s contract). Jurors will enjoy premium views on their 12th floor quarters complete with a terrace overlooking the San Joaquin River. The 13th floor houses executive offices and the 14th floor features me- chanical space. Two parking garages offer separate building access for detainees and the general public, and high-end, modern security features reinforce that separation by providing access to courtrooms via dis- tinct elevators and entryways. Working under a CM at Risk contract

valued at approximately $202 million, Turner worked closely with engineering, design, and construction team members from early on hammering out numerous constructability details during two years of pre-construction prior to groundbreak- ing. That preplanning laid the groundwork for a project that Turner engineer Adam Della Monica described as a “well-oiled machine.” “The pre-construction phase was very

The building’s modern design features soaring 17.6-ft. floor-to-ceiling heights and a five-story open air atrium with a glass curtainwall exterior extending up the east side. Rendering by NBBJ Architects

collaborative with having the design team and key subcontractors involved and giv- ing feedback about constructability is- sues,” said Della Monica. “That level of collaboration and the relationships devel- oped with the design and subcontractor team have really significantly contributed to the success of this project.”

California Constructor