The U.S. General Services Administration, the federal agency responsible for managing and developing government buildings, has released the design concept for a new federal courthouse in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Located on Vine Street, the project outlines a consolidated judicial facility that brings multiple court functions into a single secure civic structure.
HOK, the lead architect on the project, has framed the courthouse as both a working federal building and a civic presence intended to serve the region’s judicial system.
A consolidated civic brief shaping form
The proposed courthouse spans approximately 191,000ft² and brings together several judicial functions in one location. These include the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and the Circuit Library.
The building also includes seven courtrooms and nine judges’ chambers, along with operational areas for federal agencies such as the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. A total of 40 interior parking spaces are integrated within the secure structure.
This consolidation remains the project’s main organising principle, with circulation, access control, and internal separation shaping the planning approach.
Security and civic expression in architectural language
The design concept presents the courthouse as a secure federal environment, while also establishing a public civic identity. It seeks to balance openness with the strict security requirements of judicial infrastructure.
Architectural renderings show a symmetrical, stone-clad courthouse defined by strong horizontal massing and a restrained vertical rhythm. A colonnaded façade defines the central frontage, where tall, evenly spaced openings create depth and shadow while reinforcing a formal civic order. The stone expression is disciplined and minimal, relying on proportion and repetition rather than ornament.
Entry points are marked with tall, recessed bronze-toned doors set within deep frames, establishing clear civic thresholds rather than casual access points. These moments are treated as controlled transitions between public realm and secure judicial interior, reinforcing the building’s institutional function.
The architecture draws on a restrained classical language, where massing, symmetry, and material discipline establish its presence. Rather than relying on ornament, it uses proportion, rhythm, and the weight of stone to convey authority. It reads as a stable, formal civic building within Chattanooga’s institutional landscape.
Construction team and delivery
The project is being delivered through a Construction Manager as Constructor (CMc) model. Brasfield & Gorrie is serving as the CMc. fs3Hodges is acting as Construction Manager as Advisor (CMa), while HOK is the Designer of Record for the development.
The design concept for the Chattanooga federal courthouse remains at an early stage, with its architectural direction defined and its physical form yet to be developed in the next phases.
