Saline County Courthouse
Scope of Work
Full architectural services
Berggren Architects completed an addition to the historic courthouse.
Location
Wilber, NE
History
Saline County Courthouse, circa 1927
Designed by Marcus L. Evans
Completion
This project was completed in 2019.
The Challenge
The Strategy
After extensive staff interviews and review of available documents, Berggren Architects identified the primary needs of addressing security concerns and the preferred adjacencies of administrative, judicial, service, and support spaces. A main feature of the addition is a new elevator with both south and west doors. One secured elevator door allows for access to private spaces—those meant for detainees and court staff—which were designed to otherwise be secluded from public spaces. This satisfies the Nebraska Supreme Court’s standards for public safety and the preservation of dignity for detainees.
The Results
The $7.3 million, five-story Saline County Courthouse addition was completed in 2019. A main feature is a new elevator with both south and west doors. One secured elevator door allows for access to private spaces—those meant for detainees and court staff—which were designed to otherwise be secluded from public spaces. Other spaces include a new county courtroom, secured point of entry, a sally port providing a separate entrance for detainees, new fire separation for existing stairs, and an Emergency Management Center located in the basement designed to withstand an F5 tornado.
As much of the original courthouse was carried over to the new space as possible. Marble salvaged from old restrooms were reused to infill removed doors and for new door trims. A section of the original courthouse’s exterior wall became a bookshelf for the new judge’s chamber.
Interior Photos
Moonrise over the Saline County Courthouse.
The new waiting area for the Saline County Treasurer’s office
The new county courtroom features controlled access for detainees and secure passage for the judge and other court personnel.
The new judge’s chamber features shelving built into a former window opening in the exterior limestone of the original courthouse.
Historic side entrance on the south face of the courthouse.
The Veteran’s Memorial, another Berggren Architects project, is visible from the southwest corner of the courthouse.
A drone captures the Saline County Veteran’s Memorial, aligned with the entrance to the courthouse addition.
Restored bailiff’s office in the original courthouse.
The rear door to the district courtroom was relocated from the west wall (on the left) to be center on the gallery aisle, providing access from the new addition’s courtroom waiting area.
Front of the district courtroom.
Adjustable shelving was installed for the new county attorney’s office on the fourth floor of the addition.
Original county courtroom benches were repurposed to serve as waiting area seating adjacent to the district courtroom.
The server room is equipped with a dry-chemical fire suppression system.
The former mailroom, adjacent to the County Clerk’s office, has been converted to a conference room.
The county clerk’s office on the second floor was expanded by removing a wall that had separated the office from a storage room.
The original Treasurer’s vault was removed to create the new waiting area outside the Treasurer’s office. The vault was relocated and enlarged in the new addition.
A new corridor door was added to the second floor for fire separation and security.
A new probation office on the first floor of the original courthouse.
The judge’s chamber was designed with the original courthouse exterior exposed. A window opening was utilized to create a built-in bookshelf.
Security screening at the west entrance to the new addition.
The Saline County Veteran’s Memorial was designed by local students and actualized by Berggren Architects.
More about the
Iconic Government Centers
Category
A natural niche for our firm has been county courthouses for almost 40 years. We provide the expertise needed to navigate the process of caring for these important historic structures.
Our team has experience in navigating the multitude of entities involved in preserving the historic integrity of the building while also providing for modern day needs and requirements.
Our Process
We listen to you
We are preservation architects, let’s get together and talk about your project. Once we know your ideas, we can start your project in the right directions.
We involve you in the planning
We make it happen
What We Offer
Restoration
We offer restoration and preservation of your historic structures. Using extraordinary materials and craftsmanship, our historic structures are a lasting tribute to the people for whom they were built.
Consulting
We offer consulting services to both general clients and professional clients in sharing our knowledge and expertise in the area of historic preservation. Our master planning and preservation planning prepares our clients to be better able to plan for the life of their historic structures and districts.
New Construction
We know the meaning of sustainability because of our in-depth work with structures which have stood the test of time. We offer sustainable and green new construction which is historically sympathetic, including in the form of additions.
Our Team
Jerry L. Berggren, AIA
Garry Martin
Farheen Sirajuddin
Janet Jeffries
Alexi Caines
Kameron Dadgostar
Leroy Svatora, AIA
Maegan Ludena-Llanos
Grace Shepherd
Sharon Guchu
