William Kenzo Nakamura Federal Courthouse Renovation

The Nakamura Federal Courthouse is a 12-story facility built in 1939. It is the home of U.S. District Courts, U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Marshall Service for the Seattle District. The project included preconstruction and construction services for a complete seismic upgrade; all new building systems; historic rehabilitation of the five courtrooms, law library, and judges’ chambers; and tenant improvements for the lower three floors. In February 2008, the GSA added to the project’s scope to include a complete restoration of each courtroom’s historic woodwork and benches, extensive lighting revisions, and a tax court build-out. In addition, a new 15,000 SF security entrance pavilion was built underground in front of the existing facility. Construction of the new pavilion required the lowering of the existing building core, including foundations. Unique features of the building include restoration craftsmanship of existing historical finishes and black walnut woodwork throughout the building. The flooring in each courtroom is comprised of a custom-made cork material from Portugal. In addition, each judge chamber differs, as the finishes were personally handpicked by its judge.