Located in the heart of Rockville, the Judicial Center Annex (JCA) is the latest addition to the City’s municipal complex. The site serves downtown workers in the adjacent State District Court, County Council, and City Administrative offices.One of the most important goals for the project was to develop the site in ways that were visibly sustainable. This primarily involved capturing all runoff from the roof and the site to satisfy both water quantity and quality requirements.
The landscape plan develops two portions of the site – the main entrance to the building on Maryland Avenue and a pocket park on Jefferson Street. Working with existing topography in both areas, Mahan Rykiel created a series of walls, curbs, runnels, scuppers and plantings through which runoff spills from planter to planter. This system is visible from adjacent sidewalks and from inside the building. The pocket park markedly enhances the existing cafeteria plaza which connects the old building with the new annex. Benches, moveable tables and chairs, an open lawn and fountain will provide an engaging new lunchtime venue for employees in this dense urban area. Security issues were a particular concern, and plant material was selected and placed to minimize hiding places and to allow video monitoring.
LEED Gold pending
