Completed 1990

This 282,000 square foot courthouse expansion for the Bexar County contains 16 criminal courts, grand jury quarters, and offices for the district attorney and a variety of occupant agencies. Circulation systems within the Justice Center were carefully designed to separate public, private, and prisoner circulation, and an underground tunnel connects the Justice Center with the existing county courthouse. Archaeological investigation revealed an ancient acequia, or irrigation system, on site. A portion was exposed to view and restored on the north side of the building.

The overall form of the Justice Center, while broadly rectangular, is articulated at its major public points of entry by portal structures that recall the Richardsonian Romanesque detailing of the adjacent historic courthouse. The top floor is recessed to preserve the scale of the courthouse across the street. Similarly, the form of the roof and its color emulates the historic courthouse. A mixture of Texas red sandstone, limestone, and granite was selected to provide pattern, color and texture.