New Montana Federal Courthouse Sets Benchmark For Design And Construction Delivery

SEATTLE, Wash. —The new federal courthouse in Billings, Mont. is open for business following 27 months of design and construction. According to the U.S. General Services Administration, which manages real estate and property for the federal government, the design-build project team of Mortenson Construction and NBBJ established a new benchmark for the fastest delivery of a modern federal courthouse. The formal building opening and dedication is scheduled for September 18.

“The successful design and construction process of the Billings courthouse underscores the value and efficiency of our lean design-build process,” said Jim Yowan, Vice President, Mortenson Construction. The expedited design and construction was achieved through a variety of practices and technologies geared toward construction efficiency, such as Building Information Modeling.   Through the use of BIM, the design and construction team were able to maximize user understanding of the design, safety and quality, while saving time and money.  

Construction of the courthouse began in October 2010, and includes three courtrooms, four judge’s chambers, prisoner areas and office and public spaces. Funded with $79 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the as-yet unnamed courthouse encompasses 128,742-square-feet on a 1.8-acre site near the center of the city of Billings. In addition to the courts, the new building houses the Clerk of Court, U.S. Probation Office, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office and General Services Administration.

Natural elements are reflected throughout the space, with large windows on the west side providing ample natural light and expansive views of downtown Billings. The building features rugged precast panels to reflect the landscape around Billings while supporting the two courtroom floors. The fourth floor extends out onto a large rooftop patio, which is landscaped with shrubs and trees. As a tribute to the Blackfeet Nation, American Indian themes are introduced throughout, including a tepee motif and a tepee village scene.

The building is designed to be at least 30-percent more energy efficient than the industry standard, and has already achieved an energy cost savings of more than 40-percent.   High performance strategies were incorporated throughout, including radiant heating and cooling, a super-insulated exterior wall system with triple glazing and shading on the west facade lobbies, and a closed cooling tower. The courthouse is on track to achieve LEED-Silver certification.