Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Wayne Lyman Morse United States Courthouse is a federal
courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...
located in Eugene,
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
. Completed in 2006, it serves the
District of Oregon The United States District Court for the District of Oregon (in case citations, D. Ore. or D. Or.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of Oregon. It was created in 1859 when the state was admitted to the Union. ...
as part of the Ninth Judicial Circuit. The courthouse is named in honor of former U.S. Senator
Wayne Morse Wayne Lyman Morse (October 20, 1900 – July 22, 1974) was an American attorney and United States Senator from Oregon. Morse is well known for opposing his party's leadership and for his opposition to the Vietnam War on constitutional grounds. ...
who represented Oregon for 24 years in the Senate and was a Eugene area resident. Located in downtown Eugene, the building overlooks the
Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward b ...
. Standing six stories tall, the building contains six courtrooms as well offices for the courts and other federal agencies such as the
United States Marshals Service The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforcem ...
. The courthouse also has offices for Oregon's two U.S. Senators and for the U.S. Representative in the district. Designed by architect
Thom Mayne Thom Mayne (born January 19, 1944) is an American architect. He is based in Los Angeles. In 1972, Mayne helped found the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), where he is a trustee and the coordinator of the Design of Cities po ...
, the building has won several design awards and earned
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, constructio ...
(LEED) Gold certification for energy efficiency. The courthouse was the first new federal courthouse to earn LEED Gold certification.


History

In 1999, the
General Services Administration The General Services Administration (GSA) is an independent agency of the United States government established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. GSA supplies products and communications for U.S. gover ...
(GSA) held a competition to design a new courthouse for Eugene.Pogrebin, Robin. "Ready, Set, Design: Work as a Contest", ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', August 19, 2007, Arts and Leisure Desk; Architecture, p. 24.
Architect
Thom Mayne Thom Mayne (born January 19, 1944) is an American architect. He is based in Los Angeles. In 1972, Mayne helped found the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), where he is a trustee and the coordinator of the Design of Cities po ...
of the
Morphosis Morphosis Architects is an interdisciplinary architectural and design practice based in Los Angeles and New York City. History The firm was informally founded in 1972 by Michael Brickler, Thom Mayne, Livio Santini and James Stafford. Michael Rot ...
firm won the design competition, though at the time the location for the new courthouse was hypothetical. The new building was replacing the old Eugene Federal Building on High Street and Sixth Avenue in downtown, which did not have room for expansion and did not meet newer security requirements.Hughey, Ray
Portland office of J.E. Dunn takes lead in Oregon federal courthouse
''
Daily Journal of Commerce The ''Daily Journal of Commerce'' (DJC) is a U.S. newspaper published Monday, Wednesday and Friday in Portland, Oregon. It features business, construction, real estate, legal news and public notices. It is a member of American Court & Commercial ...
'', February 19, 2004.
Design of the new building began in 2001 for the site. The project was included in the Design in Excellence program, GSA's project that seeks to increase the quality of architecture in federal government projects. The design of the structure received an award from the GSA in 2002. On April 7, 2004, federal officials held a
groundbreaking Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod, or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are ...
ceremony at the site for what was estimated to be a $70 million project.Dietz, Diane. New Federal Courthouse May Prompt a Downtown Revival in Eugene, ''The Register-Guard'', June 14, 2004. The site on East Eighth Avenue and Ferry Street formerly housed an Agripac cannery and is situated along the
Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward b ...
.Carter, Dan. New federal courthouse in downtown Eugene, Oregon, is a courthouse for the 21st century, ''Daily Journal of Commerce'', August 14, 2006. Local developers and officials hoped the courthouse and a potential new hospital in that area of town would spur further development and revitalize the area. In July 2004, construction began with site preparation including digging out a hole for underground parking.Russo, Edward. "Contractors Dig Into Work: Government; Construction of the new federal courthouse is under way, due to finish in 2006", ''The Register-Guard'', August 4, 2004, p. D1. At that time the project was expected to be completed in August 2006. Plans called for a four-story structure covered with
zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...
panels on the exterior with a total of , including a three story tall atrium. Plans for zinc on the exterior were later changed to stainless steel due to costs. Designed by Mayne and the
DLR Group DLR Group is an employee-owned integrated design firm providing architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design. Their brand promise is to elevate the human experience through design. A self-described advocate for sustainable design, the ...
, the building was to be built using concrete and steel with a goal of earning
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, constructio ...
(LEED) certification for sustainability, with large amounts of natural lighting designed to help secure that distinction. On the outside many security measures were incorporated into the design. The building was to include six courtrooms, administrative offices, and space for the offices of the U.S. Marshals Service. Despite security concerns as a federal building, the architect and judge
Michael Robert Hogan Michael Robert Hogan (born September 24, 1946) is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon. He served as chief judge from 1995 to 2002. He was based at the Wayne L. Morse United States Co ...
sought to have an open feel to the structure.Hockenberry, John
Architecture: Fear Factor: Security in a New Age
, ''
BusinessWeek ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'', is an American weekly business magazine published fifty times a year. Since 2009, the magazine is owned by New York City-based Bloomberg L.P. The magazine debuted in New York City ...
'', May 2, 2006.
Hogan, the chief judge of the
United States District Court for the District of Oregon The United States District Court for the District of Oregon (in case citations, D. Ore. or D. Or.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of Oregon. It was created in 1859 when the state was admitted to the Union ...
, was the primary government official tasked with working with the architect to design the courthouse.Schneider, Jay W. "2008 Building Team Awards: Courthouse Pushes the Boundaries of Tradition: Wayne L. Morse U.S. Courthouse; A federal courthouse puts a modern spin on ancient ideas of judicial architecture", ''
Building Design & Construction A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and func ...
'', May 1, 2008, p. 26. Reed Business Information.
J. E. Dunn Construction Group served as the general contractor on the project, with the
DLR Group DLR Group is an employee-owned integrated design firm providing architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design. Their brand promise is to elevate the human experience through design. A self-described advocate for sustainable design, the ...
serving as the architect of record and as the
electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
firm. KPFF Consulting Engineers did the structural engineer work and GLUMAC International completed the plumbing and mechanical engineering. On July 11, 2005, the tall building was
topped out In building construction, topping out (sometimes referred to as topping off) is a builders' rite traditionally held when the last beam (or its equivalent) is placed atop a structure during its construction. Nowadays, the ceremony is often parlaye ...
and the last steel beam put into place.Bishop, Bill. "Project High Point: Courts: A `topping out' ceremony at the new courthouse honors workers", ''The Register-Guard'', July 12, 2005, p. D1. Construction on the project ended in August 2006 with completion in November. During construction crews removed of material during excavation at the site, poured of concrete with of
rebar Rebar (short for reinforcing bar), known when massed as reinforcing steel or reinforcement steel, is a steel bar used as a tension device in reinforced concrete and reinforced masonry structures to strengthen and aid the concrete under tension. ...
, used of
structural steel Structural steel is a category of steel used for making construction materials in a variety of shapes. Many structural steel shapes take the form of an elongated beam having a profile of a specific cross section. Structural steel shapes, si ...
, and on the exterior of windows and of stainless steel were used. On December 1, 2006, the $78.8 million Wayne Lyman Morse U.S. Courthouse was dedicated and officially opened.Bishop, Bill. "Designed to Shine; Courts; Eugene's new gem of a federal courthouse may serve as inspiration", ''The Register-Guard'', November 30, 2006, p. A1. The total cost to complete the project was $96 million. The Morse Courthouse was completed on budget and on time, but due to budget cuts, elements including a rooftop reflecting pool and etching of the
United States Bill of Rights The United States Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. Proposed following the often bitter 1787–88 debate over the ratification of the Constitution and written to address the objections ra ...
onto the exterior were removed from the project. When it opened it became the first new federal courthouse in the United States to earn LEED Gold certification.


Design

The finished building reflected two major influences: Judge Hogan had wanted a more traditional
courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...
, similar in style to the
United States Supreme Court building The Supreme Court Building houses the Supreme Court of the United States. Also referred to as "The Marble Palace," the building serves as the official workplace of the chief justice of the United States and the eight associate justices of th ...
, while architect Mayne pushed for a modern glass and steel structure.Campbell, Brett
The Education of Thom Mayne; How the uncompromising L.A. architect learned to build on common ground
, ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'', January 14, 2007, ''West Magazine'', Part I, p. 14.
Though opposed at first to each other's design thoughts, the two worked together to incorporate elements of each person's ideas. After years of working on the design process, including 25 revisions, the two compromised on elements with Hogan responsible for pushing for a set of steps leading to the main floor on the second level as well as the feel of the courtrooms. While Mayne had a reputation as an architect of confrontation and dislocation, this was one of three GSA Design in Excellence programs he had worked on with the artistically conservative federal government.Pogrebin, Robin
"A Defiant Architect’s Gentler Side"
, ''The New York Times'', December 19, 2006.
Regarding them, he said: "Obviously, those are buildings that require negotiation. I couldn't be too bad." The completed design resulted in a curving structure standing five stories tall with of space. The bottom two floors are covered in glass and house offices, while the top three floors are covered in ribbons of steel and primarily house courtrooms. Three pavilions rise from the main structure to create these upper floors where the six courtrooms are located. Each of the top three floors have two courtrooms; two for the judges of federal district court, two for magistrate judges of the court, and two for the bankruptcy court, with these courtrooms spread out amongst the pavilions; two per pavilion and all on the third floor. Chambers for the judges are located above the courtrooms and include a seventh chamber for a visiting judge. On the same level as the judge's chambers are two
law libraries A law library is a special library used by law students, lawyers, judges and their law clerks, historians and other scholars of legal history in order to research the law. Law libraries are also used by people who draft or advocate for n ...
for the court. The three floors featuring the courtrooms are joined to the rest of the building via the tall atrium. Located on the second floor is the jury assembly room, which when not in use by the court is used as exhibit and meeting space. The courtrooms vary from as large as to as small as and are in a pear-shaped design. Designs for the courtrooms were partly based on the courtrooms of the Bordeaux Law Courts in France.Gragg, Randy. Sight Lines - Ribbons for Lady Justice, ''
The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 18 ...
'', November 26, 2006, Sunday Features (O!). p. O8.
The jury box is recessed and does not resemble a traditional jury box. The courtrooms feature ribbons of wood panels on the walls in rooms that narrow as they reach the bench at the front. The wood is primarily cherry with walnut accents. Natural light is let into the courtrooms from small opening in the walls. Videoconferencing is available in the courtrooms. In addition to the natural light from the atrium and skylights, the building is further illuminated inside by
lightbox A lightbox is a translucent surface illuminated from behind, used for situations where a shape laid upon the surface needs to be seen with high contrast. Types Several varieties exist, depending on their purpose: * Various backlit viewing d ...
es and screens that are part of the artwork. Other interior details include steel mesh, a central courtyard, panels of stainless steel, pillars with burnished steel, and excerpts from the
United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...
on the wall. Also, the areas leading into the elevators have clear panels in the floor, and the main staircase is also constructed partly of transparent materials, with the steps made of gray slate. The exterior ribbons of stainless steel also extend into the lobby of the building. The exterior features a large set of stairs that leads from the street level to the main entrance on the second floor. This wide grand entrance also serves a security function of reducing the chance of a
car bomb A car bomb, bus bomb, lorry bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), is an improvised explosive device designed to be detonated in an automobile or other vehicles. Car bombs can be roughly divided ...
reaching the main entrance. Other security measures in the design include the underground parking and setting the courtrooms back from the street. The facility was designed as a Security Level IV facility by the government. Other exterior features include structural elements left exposed along with portions of the curved metal skin that extend out from the building. Mayne, the building's architect, stated that it was "the language of the ribbon" to describe the exterior design.


Artwork, LEED, and awards

Artist
Matthew Ritchie Matthew Ritchie (born 1964) is a British artist who currently lives and works in New York City. He attended the Camberwell School of Art from 1983 to 1986. He describes himself as "classically trained" but also points to a minimalist influence. ...
was commissioned to create much of the building's artwork.Keefer, Bob. "Artist for courthouse offers crowd glimpse of his outlook; Arts & Literature; Critics call Matthew Ritchie's work both brilliant and impenetrable", ''The Register-Guard'', October 7, 2005, p. C1. One piece is a metal sculpture located on the exterior in the courtyard that mimics the nearby
Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward b ...
's watershed, and includes metal spheres attached to the line shaped metal. The other main piece of art is a piece with two lightboxes on the interior that display different images as one moves along the display that uses lenticular glass. Images represent themes of the river and of legal history. Energy efficient and sustainability features designed into the project led to a LEED Gold certification from the
U.S. Green Building Council The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), co-founded by Mike Italiano, David Gottfried and Rick Fedrizzi in 1993, is a private 501(c)3, membership-based non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in building design, construction, and op ...
. Elements that led to this include landscaping that reduces runoff from rainwater, much natural light, a more efficient
HVAC Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. ...
system that is located under the floors, and a location near
public transit Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typi ...
. Landscaping includes using drought resistant native species to reduce the need for irrigation. The floor-based HVAC system is more energy efficient and helps keep the temperature of the entire building more even and uses
radiant heating Radiant heating and cooling is a category of HVAC technologies that exchange heat by both convection and radiation with the environments they are designed to heat or cool. There are many subcategories of radiant heating and cooling, including: ...
and cooling. Additionally, the construction used environmentally friendly
sealant Sealant is a substance used to block the passage of fluids through openings in materials, a type of mechanical seal. In building construction ''sealant'' is sometimes synonymous with '' caulking'' and also serve the purposes of blocking dust, so ...
s, carpets, paints, and adhesives as well as preventing 90% of the
construction waste Construction waste or debris is any kind of debris from the construction process. Different government agencies have clear definitions. For example, the United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA defines construction and demolition materia ...
from entering landfills. Also,
potable water Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, ...
usage is reduced by 40% due to the use of low-flow sinks, showers, and toilets. The contractor also recycled 90% of the materials from the building that previously occupied the site. In addition to the LEED certification, the building also won a
Progressive Architecture Award The Progressive Architecture Awards (P/A Awards) annually recognise risk-taking practitioners and seek to promote progress in the field of architecture. History The editors of ''Progressive Architecture'' magazine hosted the first Progressive Arch ...
in 2004 from ''Architecture'' magazine and AIA/COTE award from ''Architect'' magazine in 2007. The
Chicago Athenaeum The Chicago Athenaeum is a private museum of architecture and design, based in Galena, Illinois. The museum focuses on the art of design in all areas of the discipline: architecture, industrial and product design, graphics, landscape architecture, ...
also gave the design an award in 2007 as part of its American Architecture Awards. The Morse Courthouse was also the first U.S. courthouse included at the
Venice Biennale of Architecture Venice Biennale of Architecture (in Italian Mostra di Architettura di Venezia) is an international exhibition of architecture from nations around the world, held in Venice, Italy, every other year. It was held on even years until 2018, but 20 ...
. ''
The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 18 ...
'' newspaper called the courthouse "the most architecturally important new building in Oregon in decades".


Tenants

The bottom two floors of the facility house offices, including those for the federal courts, the
U.S. Attorney's Office United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...
, the
U.S. Marshals Service The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforceme ...
, and U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services. Additionally, there are offices for both of Oregon's United States Senators and an office for a single member of the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
. Representative
Peter DeFazio Peter Anthony DeFazio (; born May 27, 1947) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for , serving since 1987. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes Eugene, Springfield, Corvallis, Roseburg, Coos Ba ...
of
Oregon's 4th congressional district Oregon's 4th congressional district represents the southern half of Oregon's coastal counties, including Coos, Curry, Douglas, Lane, and Benton counties and most of Linn and Josephine counties. It is centered around the state's two colleg ...
uses that office.Two more arrested
''
Eugene Weekly ''Eugene Weekly'' is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Eugene, Oregon. The paper, published every Thursday, has a circulation of 39,850. It publishes an annual "Best of Eugene" list, a restaurant guide ("Chow!"), and special section ...
'', March 15, 2007. Retrieved on February 10, 2009.


References


External links


AIA brochure


- ''Eugene Weekly''
Morse United States Courthouse article by Morphosis
{{Oregon Courthouses 2006 establishments in Oregon Buildings and structures in Eugene, Oregon Courthouses in Oregon Federal courthouses in the United States Government buildings completed in 2006 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold certified buildings