This project is currently registered in persuit of LEEDŽ Gold Certification. Currently targeted to be the largest LEEDŽ Gold Certified project in North Carolina.

The new Durham County Human Services Complex will house the Departments of Public Health and Social Services as well as the administrative offices for mental health and some county wide facilities including a large meeting facility.

The new facility is designed as a courtyard building. The facades all front their respective streets to give the building an urban presence, while the internalized courtyard becomes a "gem" within the urban setting. The building has been designed with the main circulation facing the inner courtyard to provide an abundance of natural light and air to both the employees and visitors.

To address the program needs, the building is designed with two lobbies along Main Street - one serving the Department of Public Health and the other for the Department of Social Services. The most visited programs will be located along the lower two floors while the majority of the administrative departments are on the upper levels. In addition to the main lobbies, there will be several informal access points at appropriate locations for employees, special clients, and county wide facilities.

The site naturally slopes from its high point at the northeast corner to its low point at the southwest corner. The building works with this natural feature in a way that allows for a basement level service and parking area to occur along the Ramseur Street edge with access at the corner of Ramseur Street and Queen Street.

Because the new Durham County Human Services building will sit on the site of the current Public Health Building, the phasing of the project is crucial. The building is designed to be constructed in two phases: The first would be to construct the portion along Queen Street and Ramseur Street. This would allow all of the existing Public Health employees to move into their new facility before the old building is razed. Once the old building is demolished, the portion along Dillard Street and Main Street would be constructed as well as the interior courtyard.

illustration:

studioamd