The Cornelius F. Kiernan Judicial Center in Lowell’s Hamilton Canal District unites five court departments under one roof: District, Housing, Superior, Juvenile, and Probate and Family Courts. This seven-story building features seventeen courtrooms, secure circulation routes, and state-of-the-art technology and security systems. The facility also includes a Law Library, office space for court staff, a detainee holding area, the Registry of Deeds, the District Attorney’s office, and a Grand Jury Room.
A commissioned artist incorporated Lowell’s history, architectural character, and cultural diversity into the design of the glass curtain wall at the main entrance. As the first new construction in the Hamilton Canal District master plan, the project serves as a civic anchor for the revitalized neighborhood.
The building was designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification, becoming the first courthouse in the United States to earn this designation. It also received the Boston Society of Architecture’s Accessible Design Award and the AIA Academy of Architecture for Justice’s Facilities Review Award.
