This four-story, 81,000-square-foot municipal building houses administrative services and new county council chambers for the Columbia County, Georgia government. The surrounding campus received a renovation with a new park plaza on the site of the previous, demolished building.
The building needed to have a commanding presence, which was lacking in the original, as construction phasing demanded that it be placed very close to the road. As a result, the façade has articulated panels of varying brick colors, contrasting windows and solar fins, and dynamic lighting at night.
The building is designed around a “concierge” model, with visitors immediately brought to a service desk upon entry, and destinations for regular public services all able to be gestured to for guidance in a two-story, open entry lobby.
The first floor is dedicated to high-traffic, community-facing functions. The county decided to make their technological investments part of the visual appeal of the building by featuring the traffic control center behind a large, frosted glass partition to show residents the use of their tax dollars. Technical and development-focused departments such as engineering and building standards are consolidated on the second floor to promote collaboration and efficiency.
The third and fourth floors support the County’s operational backbone, housing finance, and human resources, and serve as the center of leadership and governance, with the Board of Commissioners, County Manager’s Office, County Administration, and Public Relations strategically located to guide and support countywide initiatives.