Accented with modern finishes, the new lobby welcomes and directs visitors while serving as a protective division of public services and officer workspace. Beyond the lobby, heightened windows throughout the open workspace provide staff with abundant daylighting without sacrificing safety. Amenities include a gym with locker rooms, training rooms, a break room, office spaces, records storage, evidence storage, and an evidence processing area.

When creating the layout, we met with key stakeholders to understand their priorities, which informed critical success factors for our design. Through our conversations, we determined that these parties valued durable finishes, hard floors rather than carpet in the common areas, efficient building systems that are easy to maintain, and the incorporation of natural light. We prioritized these elements and modified our design without compromising functionality, promoting officer wellness and staff retention.

In response to the client’s need for flexible spaces that accommodate future staff expansion, we conducted a space needs analysis that identified the spatial allocation and functional elements required to meet the growing department’s needs for at least a decade. As a result, our design team recommended that we transform part of the armory’s warehouse space into a usable second floor that’s ready to house additional staff, reducing costs as opposed to risking future construction escalation. The area includes meeting places for community members to invite the public to connect with the officers and team, promoting transparency, inclusiveness, and accessibility. The new sheriff’s office houses both patrol and administrative staff, fostering increased collaboration to help the county more efficiently address critical community needs.