Charleston County Public Services Building
CLIENT:
Charleston County
LOCATION:
Charleston, South Carolina
SERVICES PROVIDED:
Programming, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Interior Design, Civil, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineering
This project began with a detailed programming effort for all county departments, including Developmental Services, Tax Assessor, Summary Courts, Sheriff, Coroner, Data Processing, Voter Registration, General Services, County Administration, EMS, Capital Projects, Emergency Preparedness, Communications Center, and Business Licenses to determine whether these county functions could remain in downtown Charleston with the growing need for an expanded judicial center in the same location. Once it was established that the county departments should be relocated, site selection studies were prepared to determine the best location for the building.
The selected site was the County's property on Leeds Avenue in North Charleston based upon its proximity to the entire county population. The building was designed as a three story, 165,000 square foot structure with the Summary Courts and Developmental Services Center located on the first floor to facilitate public access. Traditional Charleston materials and details were used to reflect the stability of county government. The front entrance and main lobby were designed to provide an open and inviting image to the residents of Charleston County.
This project was completed by Kenneth M. Betsch, AIA while a Managing Principal with Odell Associates, Inc. and in association with Cummings & McCrady, Inc.
