Marion County Community Justice Center

Indianapolis, Indiana

The site design intends to put back a landscape that evokes a sense that the site is dynamic and has been shaped by climatic forces. This location, a place within the watershed and adjacent to Pleasant Run Creek, exhibits the characteristics of a landscape sculpted primarily by water. The formal limestone base of the building extends out into the site landscape reminiscent of natural formations of the region. The exposed face of the limestone is the result of Pleasant Run Creeks channel moving against the stone. Adjacent to the flow of the creek, distinct “eddies” puncture the face of the limestone façade to create pauses in the flow. These “eddies” are places where people enter and exit the complex, are places for pedestrians to congregate, and create confluence intersections in the landscape. Vehicular drop-off’s, plazas and gardens occupy these “eddies”.