Trauma-Informed Design

Trauma-Informed Design For All

There is potential for high levels of emotional stress for many who interact with the courts. This stress can be induced by interactions with the court or the trauma resulting from those interactions. Therefore, careful consideration should reduce the potential for trauma in the courthouse environment for litigants and court staff. New or remodeled court space should carefully consider and implement 'trauma-informed' design principles to reduce environmentally triggered stresses. The trauma-informed design has the potential to promote a calming environment and can reduce anxiety for occupants. These principles are generally applicable to both individual courtrooms and the courthouse.

Access to justice requires open and safe spaces within a courthouse. With a growing number of violent courthouse incidents, there is an ever-increasing concern for safety and security in a courthouse. A safe and secure environment must be provided for all court participants. At the same time, it is also critical that courthouses convey a sense that access to justice is open and that the judicial process is transparent. Consideration will need to be given to providing that security in a way that does not unduly interfere with the ability of law-abiding citizens to enter courthouses and move about once inside. Courthouse design must also address the specific security needs of victims, witnesses, jurors, and others involved in court proceedings. Potential design strategies to consider include:

Consider break-out or wellness spaces for judges and staff. Provide access to natural light and views of nature/ vegetation wherever possible.

Consider children's playrooms for visitors.

Provide a transparent and open interior environment with lots of visibility. Avoid creating blind spots and potential hiding spaces in hallways and corridors.

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TRAUMA-INFORMED SPACE GOALS

Select interior finishes carefully to promote a calming environment (e.g., using earth-tone colors and avoiding sharp reflective surfaces).

Spaces should be well lit; garish artificial lighting sources should be avoided, and softer/warmer toned fixtures should be preferred.

Develop an easy-to-understand wayfinding system for the courthouse. Creating more intuitive and easy-to-navigate spaces helps all court visitors reduce litigants' stress. Develop an acoustically balanced environment – For example, avoid overuse of hard reflective surfaces to improve acoustics and avoid creating a 'noisy' environment. In addition, add sound-transmission-rated partitions between spaces to promote privacy where needed.