27
court space reForm
ADMINISTR SPACES Changes to judicial services and operations continue to impact the design and construction of courthouses. The design of core adjudication spaces, such as courtrooms, ancillary courtroom spaces, and building circulation systems, is most apparent to occupants. In contrast, changes made to court operations and administrative support areas are less evident. Technological advancements, including e-filing and the expansion of online services, allow employees’ access to digital information. Transitioning from paper-based operations to ecourt environments results in the possibility of dynamic staff assignments and variable work locations. Shared access to electronic court data allows equitable workload distribution to various court locations within the same judicial circuit. Employees are valuable assets of the court system. Comfortable work environments and flexible office environments that accommodate individuals’ needs are incentives to maintain stable staff resources and attract future talent.
Increased Remote Work The availability of electronic filing and case management processing has lifted the physical restrictions and limitations associated with paper files and paper-based work processes, and the vision of the new staff office should consider a flexible, hybrid service framework. Future e-court operations will change the workflows and impact inter- and intra- space adjacency relationships within or between work units/divisions. The space layout scheme in a traditional paper-based office includes having the public window workstations at the front adjacent to the main office in the back to follow the paper trail. This model is not a requirement in an e-court environment. Instead, the operations in the main office may be connected to the front window operation through a wired information network. Such an arrangement offers flexible office placement alternatives in the new court building.
