Honor Award for Excellence in Architecture
Louisiana Architects Association, 1995

Rose Award
Baton Rouge Chapter, American Institute of Architects, 1995

Merit Award
New Orleans Chapter, American Institute of Architects, 1995

Publication:
Holding Forth in Town Center: Two New Federal Courthouses in Louisiana,
Architecture South, Vol. 3, No.2, (by Douglas Ashe, AIA)

“The architects, a consortium of four Louisiana companies, have used the Deep South setting to full advantage to set the tone for their design. The Russell B. Long Federal Building, named for a powerful native son, is a strong presence in the revitalization of downtown Baton Rouge…. The new courthouse is a statement of its own time and place. But it also asserts the important role civic buildings can play in the life and identity of a community.”

Doug Ashe, AIA
Architecture South Magazine
Russell B. Long Federal Building and United States Courthouse
Baton Rouge, LA

The site, located in what was Victory Park, is adjacent to the old 1932 Federal Courthouse. The new building is designed to respond to three specific Owner requested goals: save and incorporate the live oak trees in the design; make reference to the 1932 Courthouse with color, architectural treatment and scale; and, provide modern, efficient facilities for the United States District Court and Federal Government Offices in Baton Rouge.

The symmetrical plan provides clarity, order and efficiency. Public lobbies on each floor are carefully detailed and proportioned with attention given to the penetration of natural light through skylights and glass on the east and west facades. While the new courthouse stands as a statement of its own time, the materials and design of the exterior and interior are strongly influenced by the art deco style and materials used in the old courthouse. The exterior walls are richly articulated to provide strong shapes, shadows and forms. Two unique torchere columns of nickel-silver and bronze mark and frame the entrance, symbolizing traditional courthouse porches and columns. A large, concave structural glass wall at the monumental entrance provides views of the trees from the interior lobbies and balconies.

Owner: General Services Administration

Lead Designer: E. Eean McNaughton, FAIA

Architect: The Courthouse Joint Venture Architects

E. Eean McNaughton Architects, New Orleans
Newman and Grace Architects, Baton Rouge
Post Architects, Baton Rouge
Holly and Smith Architects, Hammond

Cost: $20,000,000

Completion: 1994