Justice
HMC Receives a DBIA Western Pacific Design-Build Award
June 14th, 2013
The design-build team of Balfour Beatty, HMC Architects and KMD Architects received a Merit Award for the San Diego County Women’s Detention Facility (SDCWDF) at the 2013 DBIA Western Pacific Design-Build Awards. The SDCWDF is a 45-acre, 24-building, 1,216 bed facility that essentially functions as a self-contained community. There are six distinct housing types as well as many specialized building components such as psychiatric housing, infirmary, law enforcement training facilities, vocational workshops and a central plant. The campus design delivers a normative treatment environment that will encourage positive behaviors. It acknowledges that a less institutional environment can provide significant psychological benefits for inmates and staff alike while also contributing to successful strategies that reduce recidivism.
The award jurors commented, “The County of San Diego should be commended on selecting design-build delivery method for this project—the project’s complex program will benefit from it. The nature of the project team and expertise that was brought on beyond conventional corrections design (i.e. campus designers) was an innovative approach. We also thought the design is elegant and sophisticated for a corrections facility. The entire team is to be commended for rethinking the design approach and raising the quality level of this project type. The campus approach, humane design and flexibility in the facility were particularly notable. Finally, the design-build team’s statement of community outreach was notable as well—it supports the strength of process in this project!”
HMC San Diego's James Krueger (left) accepted the award along with the design-build team.
The awards jury included:
Jacob Williams, LA County
Rob Lewis, US Army Corps of Engineers
Kirk Van Cleave, P3 International
Kanon Artiche, Solano County
Reed McMackin, Pan Pacific Plumbing
Brett Tullis, Sillman-Wright Architects
Alicia Wachtel, HOK
David Frommer, UNLV Planning and Construction
Michael Kim, HKS
Joel King, UC San Diego
David Hunt, gkkworks
Dean Maglieri, Development Industries
Lori Guidry, Development Industries
San Diego County Women’s Detention Facility Receives AAJ Justice Facilities Review Award
May 16th, 2013
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced its 2013 Justice Facilities Review (JFR) citation winners and published projects. The projects were judged on best practices in planning and design for justice architecture, as well as how the design positively influenced its occupants. This year, four projects showcasing exemplary design strategies stood out above the rest and received citations, including the San Diego County Women’s Detention Facility (SDCWDF), which is being completed by the design-build team of Balfour Beatty Construction, KMD Architects and HMC Architects.
San Diego County developed an innovative approach to the care and custody of women that has the potential to establish a national adult incarceration model based on normative operations and facility design. The SDCWDF includes 1,216 beds on a 45-acre campus modeled on a community college and will facilitate a program intensive-management culture intended to proactively reduce recidivism. This distinctly transformative philosophy inspired the design team to explore principles of choice, change and accountability in the development of an environment that would support rehabilitative opportunities and the safety and security of staff and inmates.
The design is based on what are known to be predictable psychological and physiological responses people have to their environment. Studies show that women socialize differently; multi-custody living environments are clustered around exterior courtyards that integrally connect the interior to the exterior spaces to create intimate or group interaction. The program buildings are located in the heart of the “campus core,” which will buzz with activity during the day and evenings. The project is targeting LEED Gold certification.
The jurors commented, “The SDCWDF is exemplary in incorporating not only evidence-based programs but also evidence-based design to support those programs. There is a growing body of research supporting the notion that an environment that provides natural light, views of nature, and opportunities for positive interaction and communication can reduce stress and have encourage rehabilitation. This jail provides a college campus-type atmosphere with programs that will promote behavior change through rewards geared toward women—and will prepare them for re-entry into society. Through all these gestures, the project takes the concept of a normalized environment to the next level, setting up clear behavioral expectations for “normal” behavior.
As a jury we also appreciated how the open dorms provide a degree of privacy consistent with security (research shows that this encourages positive communications). We like how the campus provides numerous outdoor spaces for inmate and staff activities; landscaping throughout is carefully designed to provide these places while not blocking views needed for supervision.”
The project will be published in the 2013 Justice Facilities Review and honored at the AIA’s Academy of Architecture for Justice (AAJ) fall conference in Portland, Oregon.
The 2013 Justice Facilities Review jury members consisted of:
– Jay Farbstein, FAIA, Chair, JFA, Pacific Palisades, California
– Earl Cook, Alexandria Police, Washington, DC
– Duane B. Delaney, District of Columbia Court System, Washington, DC
– Tom Donaghy, AIA, Kishimoto.Gordon. Dalaya, Phoenix
– Tom Faust, District of Columbia Department of Corrections, Washington, DC
– Maynard Feist, AIA, Lionakis, Sacramento
– Jim McClaren, AIA, McClaren, Wilson, Lawrie, Phoenix
Complete list of winning projects //
Correctional News article on the winning projects //
Sustainable Justice Ratings Guide
March 7th, 2013
Beverly Prior presented “Correctional Facilities Connecting with the Community” at the 2013 ACA Winter Conference in Houston. During her presentation, she reviewed the Sustainable Justice Ratings Guide. The SJ Ratings Guide broadens assessment beyond the facility scale to sustainability at the societal, community, and human scales.
Beverly, along with HMC’s Julia Hughes and the AIA Sustainable Justice Committee, continue the development of the Sustainable Justice Ratings Guide a custom methodology or scoring system to specifically evaluate justice facilities within the context of sustainable principles that uniquely expands the definition of leadership for sustainable environments, communities, and society at-large.
The Sustainable Justice Ratings Guide has a 2030 planning horizon for the long term impacts of sustainable justice. The Ratings Guide does not compete with USGBC LEED criteria, rather it augments sustainable building design and construction criteria and focuses on the whole system from societal impacts to the engagement of the individual. The Ratings Guide is based on four scales: The Societal Scale; The Community Scale; The Facility Scale; and The Human Scale.
— It is intended to encourage a broader role of sustainability for our justice facilities in our society as well as their impact on communities and individuals.
— Goals are defined based on Sustainable Justice Principles that reach far beyond materials, methods, and the physical and earth energy resource conservation of physical plant construction and performance standards.
— Desired outcomes are defined by metrics and reference standards and resources that provide reinforce the unique link public facilities have with, and contribution to a successfully sustainable community and society.
Posted in Justice,Speaking Engagements
Beverly Prior Makes Sense of Sustainable Design in Corrections
February 13th, 2013
Correctional News recently asked HMC Architects’ Beverly Prior a series of questions in order to understand how green design has been implemented in the correctional market and the overall benefits of sustainable design in the industry.
The first question Correctional News asked was: “how has she seen sustainability and energy-efficient design concepts grow in the correctional market?”
Beverly answered, “I’ve seen sustainability concepts grow from two perspectives — the political and the operations perspective. Politically, the funding agency, whether a state or county often have standards that projects must meet a LEED or other green standard. It also can help with achieving community buy in: “At least it’s green!” Achieving a LEED status is a source of pride and positive public relations: “We’re doing the right thing!” Operationally, the focus is minimizing the ongoing use of resources. Correctional facilities make large demands on water and power, so if those year after year costs can be reduced, then agencies have more options with where to put their resources. With the support of state grant programs, Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail is now poised to save $100,000 per year with their new solar grid.”
Read Beverly Prior’s Full Interview
Alameda County's Juvenile Justice Center provides services for 360 youths and was the first juvenile justice facility in the nation to achieve LEED Gold certification.
Posted in Articles & Publications,Civic,Justice
United States Courthouse Design-Build Competition Finalist
December 19th, 2012
McCarthy, HMC Architects and Brooks + Scarpa joined forces to participate in the design-build, design competition for the new United States courthouse in Los Angeles. As a shortlisted finalist, the contractor-led design-build team was selected to compete thru the General Services Administration two-stage Design Excellence program. The approximately 550,000-SF high-rise building located at 1st and Hill Street is designed to accommodate a future 175,000-SF federal office building. The proposed 320-foot tall structure is designed to be certified LEED Platinum and will save nearly two million gallons of water per year.
Inspired by the interweaving of a grand natural arch embedded with a memory of the scales of Lady Justice, the proposed design concept symbolizes the strength, dignity and balanced fairness of the Federal Court. As the visitor approaches they will discover that the acanthus leaf pattern ornaments both the precast and the glazing, creating a connection to the iconic Corinthian columns at the entry to the U.S. Supreme Court — an interpretation in modern materials that connects to the best traditions of American justice.
The design delivers functional efficiency, security and accessibility for the Court, the U.S. Marshal Service, and the other tenants and users. The design-build team’s collaborative effort resulted in a project that exceeds the GSA’s sustainability and energy conservation goals with proven, durable, low-maintenance strategies to deliver a LEED Platinum courthouse.
Leadership Team:
John McRitchie: Principal-In-Charge, McCarthy Building Companies
Kate Diamond, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C: Co-Lead Designer, HMC Architects
Lawrence Scarpa, FAIA: Co-Lead Designer, Brooks + Scarpa
Project Team:
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. (Prime/General Contractor)
HMC Architects (Architect)
Brooks + Scarpa (Architect)
The Olin Partnership (Landscape Architect)
Psomas (Civil)
Thornton Tomasetti (Structural + Blast + Curtainwall)
Rolf Jensen & Associates, Inc. (Fire, Life Safety)
WSP Flack + Kurtz (MEP)
WSP Built Ecology (LEED/Sustainability)
Waveguide (Acoustics/Low Voltage/Media/Security)
The Schachinger Group (Vertical Transportation/Loading)
Schuff Steel (Subcontractor)
Clark Pacific Precast (Subcontractor)
Enclos Corp (Subcontractor)
Pan Pacific Plumbing (Subcontractor)
Control Air Conditioning (Subcontractor)
Beverly Prior Joins Correctional News Editorial Board
December 12th, 2012
Beverly Prior, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP has joined Correctional News’ editorial advisory board. Founded in 1994, Correctional News is the only news magazine specifically dedicated to correctional facility construction, maintenance, and operations. Widely read by facility operators and managers as well as architects, contractors and suppliers, Correctional News has become a must read business news publication in this unique market.
The ten-person editorial advisory board will regularly discuss the latest news and opinion trends that face the correctional industry. As a board member, Beverly will also have the opportunity to contribute to the publication by authoring an article.
Torrey Sims, editor of the publication, said she was impressed with Beverly’s knowledge and insight into the industry, and also her warm personality. She thinks Beverly will be a perfect addition to the publication’s editorial board and will strengthen the content in Correctional News.
Posted in Articles & Publications,Civic,Justice
HMC Welcomes Danielle De Silva
November 5th, 2012
HMC welcomes Danielle De Silva, AIA, LEED AP BD+C as a Senior Project Manager to the firm’s civic and justice practice. With more than 12 years of creative problem-solving experience, she is a dedicated and innovative project manager with a proven track record for efficiently managing multiple projects. Danielle is a strong leader in the development of the project team through effective and motivating mentoring strategies.
“Danielle brings a remarkable passion for justice facilities and is a tremendous addition to our team,” said Beverly Prior, FAIA, LEED BD+C, Civic and Justice Practice Leader at HMC Architects. “She has a unique balance of detailed technical knowledge, larger scale planning, and a deep understanding of owners’ interests. Danielle’s skill sets truly complement HMC’s design strength and her proven background in the coordination and management of these complex projects will be an asset to our firm and justice practice.”
Prior to HMC, Danielle was a Project Manager at Colliers-International where she was responsible for the facility management of CalPERS properties, and was a Project Manager for Kitchell where she worked closely with California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Posted in Civic,Justice,News Releases
AIA Academy of Architecture for Justice Fall Conference
October 4th, 2012
By Julia Hughes, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Associate Principal
We’re gearing up for the AIA AAJ Fall Conference October 10-12, with a wide range of activities and opportunities for involvement planned. Browse the upcoming events and if you’re in Toronto for the conference, definitely stop by the AIA AAJ booth for a visit.
Re-purposing Existing Buildings for Essential Services Operations
Within the Law Enforcement track of the conference, which includes detention/corrections and courts, HMC’s Beverly Prior will be discussing the planning and design challenges of facing economic shortages as counties are choosing to re-purpose commercial buildings for essential services operations. This session will explore project development strategies, and the associated benefits and challenges for programming, operations, and security.
Continue Reading…
Posted in Justice,Speaking Engagements
Advocating for a New Sustainability
September 18th, 2012
By Julia Hughes, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Associate Principal
Beverly Prior and I first collaborated for sustainable justice in 2006 on a presentation about green juvenile facilities, out of which evolved the AIA Academy of Architects for Justice (AAJ) Sustainable Justice Committee and national activism to establish and promote sustainable justice principles. Today, I serve as Chair of the Sustainable Justice Committee and Beverly is a member of the committee and its former-Chair.
The Sustainable Justice Committee of AIA AAJ strives to put into the lexicon of every planner, designer, owner, and operator, a broader recognition of the role of sustainability in our society and the fundamental concepts of a systems approach to sustainable justice—reaching beyond the materials, methods, and physical and earth energy resource conversation of physical plant construction and performance standards.
Toward this endeavor, the committee has developed the “Green Guide to Justice,” which defines a vision for a comprehensive, integrated, and sustainable justice system and reaches out to industry partners for engagement. The Guide is designed to serve as a voluntary educational tool for early adopters of sustainable design, construction, and operations practices, and to encourage continuous improvement in the justice sector, continued leadership, and increased rigor associated with creating high performance justice environments.
Download the Green Guide to Justice >>
The committee then incorporated the sustainable principles into a custom methodology or scoring system to specifically evaluate justice facilities within the context of a broader definition of leadership for sustainable environments, communities, individuals, and society at-large. We developed a rating system focused on four scales: The Societal Scale, The Community Scale, The Facility Scale, and The Human Scale. With this focus, the conversation about sustainability is entirely changed! Desired outcomes are defined by metrics and reference standards and resources that reinforce the unique link public facilities have with, and contribution to, a successfully sustainable community and society.
One sustainable justice goal for 2013 is to develop a scoring/weighting structure for the ratings criteria and engage various industry partners in its implementation in case studies. The committee’s intent is to create a tool for anyone to use that helps guide a sustainable response to a planning, design, or operation problem, which also becomes an organic component of the process.
Posted in Justice
Correctional News Features Beverly Prior, Justice Superhero
July 20th, 2012
Correctional News sat down Justice League style for a dialogue with some of the leading female justice designers in the country—and just like how female superheroes surfaced from the colored panels of DC and Marvel—these women are emerging on the correctional and civic structure landscape. Leaving their mark, not just as designers of secure facilities, but as people who can create dialogue about the changing landscape of the United States’ A/E/C justice arena—and build lasting relationships. From the private sector to county, state or federal agencies, these superheroes are sure to be welcomed wherever they may land. Read about HMC’s own justice superhero, Beverly Prior, in Correctional News.
Posted in Articles & Publications,Justice
