“This was a very old building, they did not have much in the means of audiovisual technology specifically within the courtrooms.” Jessica Hiatt stated. Jessica Hiatt, CTS-D, was a lead technology designer for the Polk County Historic Courthouse and has an extensive background in courtroom technology integration. “There were a lot of non-accessible areas we had to work around and a majority of the project revolved around receiving info from the contractors and providing proactive feedback on how to proceed and adjust.”

To avoid any more damage to the building’s historic material, technology had been “rolled in” rather than integrated. Technology carts left a trail of unsightly cords strewn across courtroom floors, turning the simple act of displaying evidence into a herculean feat. Internet connectivity options differed across the space with no all-encompassing method visitors and employees could use to connect to the internet or local and state government networks. Handheld recording devices were entrusted with archiving court cases. Voice amplification was left to handheld microphones stemming from the technology carts. Virtual courtroom attendees had dedicated laptops with internal mics that hoped to decipher the audio coverage from the room’s handheld mics.

Acoustics and Audiovisual

Acoustic modeling and testing were coordinated within the historic courtrooms. The acoustical team was presented with a challenging environment: high-domed ceilings and reverberant marble and terrazzo surfaces. Sound transmission could easily be lost within the ceiling space and too much sound amplification in a highly-reverberant environment would lower speech intelligibility. To curb the harsh loss of sound, the domed ceilings were coated with an acoustic plaster customized to match the original paintwork. Acoustic panels line the walls of the courts and dampen the harsh reverberation caused by the combination of marble and terrazzo. None of the sound reinforcement devices could be mounted into the podiums, jury boxes, or any historical constructs that were original to the courthouse.  In order to respect the county government’s vision, our team kept the original pieces intact by gently resting speakers atop of judge’s podiums and benches, bringing listener-level sound across the room by utilizing the underfloor space for network connectivity and power. A cohesive effort with the architect and contractor allowed control boxes, access panels, and connection ports to be built in conjunction with the red accent terrazzo flooring renovation.

Audiovisual integrations are one of the most prevalent changes to the Polk County Courthouse. In addition to providing a centralized display monitor system for evidence presentation for all the courtrooms, special equipment connections designed for media/news outlets allow for enhanced coverage of high-profile cases. Video feeds from news teams can flow directly into a corresponding editing room where live coverage and video can be modified onsite. Microphones are embedded into listener-level speakers and directly feed audio to virtual attendees and the media editing rooms.

A Century’s Worth of Updates

In the pursuit of maintaining the operational efficacy of the courthouse to match pace with its current needs, the “quick fix” solutions devised over the years blotted out the structure’s unique character. The Polk County Courthouse had remained untouched by modern technology since the beginning of the 21^st century. In conjunction with Alvine Engineering, IP Design Group was pitted with the task of ushering the court into the present. The challenge for the IP Design Group project team was to integrate new telecommunication systems and audiovisual integration within six historic courtrooms and other applicable sites, and coordinate valuable security systems highlighted by electronic control access mechanisms and video surveillance. The addition of these systems needed to be implemented without disturbing any of the recently restored historical frameworks. The client emphasized the importance of ensuring the integrated design did not detract from the building’s interior aesthetic. An extensive budget allocation was funneled to restorative work on the plaster, paint, and floors—most of which could only be replicated by hand.

Telecommunications and Security

IP Design Group is one of a select group of technology integrators within the country with robust courthouse experience. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rapidly increasing need for robust videoconferencing capabilities was a priority for the court’s operational prowess. IP Design Group updated the telecommunications array and implemented fiber optic structured cabling solutions. Installing the fiber optic strategically to avoid unnecessary damage and alteration to the original structure required enhanced  coordination with the contractor. An extensive onsite review allowed the telecommunications team to strategize cable routing that was installed in conjunction with the red terrazzo flooring renovation. This brought much-needed centralized network access within the historic courtrooms. Jacob Butler, RCDD, was the courthouse’s lead security designer and noted the importance of onsite collaboration throughout the entire project.

“There was a significant effort during construction administration between the contractors, engineers, and the architect,” Jacob Butler stated, “As we opened up spaces within the courthouse, we learned more about the structure’s layout and made adjustments.”

The courthouse contained no original schematics, which meant construction administration and design solutions occurred onsite to provide strategies congruent with contractors’ discoveries as they ventured into the inner workings of the space. The discovery of large chassis spaces in between the original brick walls allowed our group to strategically mount security cameras and control access panels close to these chassis spaces which housed electrical and network distribution.  Utilizing these spaces allowed minimally invasive impact on the courtroom walls while integrating necessary technology. This enhanced security and allowed courtrooms to easily record processions and archive cases to their designated networks. Control access panels had to be custom-built for doorways and spaces inside the courthouse as the doorframes and doors were original to its construction. While design options were limited due to the door’s historic value, our design team could effectively use the chassis spaces near the doorframes for access control panels.