Innovative Woodwork in the Johnson County Courthouse
Designed to meet Johnson County’s judicial needs for the next 75 years, this state-of-the-art courthouse is the tallest building in Olathe, was designed to meet LEED specifications, provides 350 000 square feet of space and will replace the existing courthouse, which opened in 1952.
While Beaubois normally provides turnkey work, ensuring production and installation, the Johnson County Courthouse building required a different approach: in this project, JE Dunn Construction took on the role of installing Beaubois’ millwork. This required clear communication between parties, from the outset and throughout construction. As a result, Beaubois was able to create mock-ups of the courtrooms in their facilities, where the JE Dunn team visited to approve all work before it was shipped to the site. Most notably, the team developed a massive and innovative judge’s bench, that could be moved up or down to accommodate user requirements.
Today, Beaubois millwork can be seen in the Johnson County Courthouse’s 28 courtrooms. It includes jury boxes, spectator rails, courtroom entrances with wood doors, frames and sidelights, wood veneer paneling, wood bases, chair rails and handrails, wood panels in hollow metal frames, attorney tables, lecterns, and flagpole holders. Materials included cherry wood veneer and solid wood, all stained to match control samples. In addition, the Beaubois team worked to carefully match their wall panels to nearby acoustic doors, which had been created by a different supplier.
