Osceola County Government Center

The Heery-designed campus master plan created a strong government center that reestablishes the historic structure as the traditional “courthouse on the green”, while introducing a contemporary new justice building that maintains a sensitive response to the historic courthouse and surrounding neighborhood.

The priority of the campus masterplan is to reestablish courthouse square as a symbol of government suggesting dignity, stability and permanence, while providing a civic space that will accommodate a variety of community functions.  The site featured a historic courthouse that suffered from injudicious renovations and a series of unfortunate annexes.  The architect’s plan for the government center restores the historic courthouse to its former civic presence as the traditional American “courthouse on the green” by preserving and extending the natural landscape setting and providing a more formal entry courtyard/plaza.  In response to this feature building, the new courthouse and administration building reflect the landmark’s Romanesque and Gothic/Victorian architecture.

Heery’s design includes a new 247,000 SF courthouse; renovated 140,000 SF administration building and the restoration of the 18,000 SF historic courthouse.

The government center is a conscious response to this feature building. The new courthouse and administration building reflect the landmark’s traditional architecture with careful attention to the pedestrian scale and entry porticos of each building.  Complementary building materials, fenestration patterns, building massing and details work together with the historic building to form a unified campus surrounding the civic green space.