Designing For The Future
York County recently constructed a new County Administration Building at the corner of South Congaree Street and West Jefferson Street. As a part of the project, the existing one-story Ag Building, which housed several county government departments, was demolished. The new site now offers the County the opportunity to consolidate most of the office space needed for day-to-day operations including internal space for future expansion. The programmatic needs called for 80,000-square feet of area. Considering the site, the solution is a four-story building of 20,000 square feet per floor.
Matching The Historic Fabric Of The Area
The new structure takes several design clues from the existing historic Courthouse. The government center is set back from South Congress to align with the Courthouse. A generous green space is uninterrupted for the entire block. Most of the existing trees remain and were supplemented by new plantings. Due to unusual topography, the scale of the new building is seen as a three-story structure along South Congress Street. The height is consistent with neighboring buildings in the area (the Courthouse and those across the street). As the grade drops to the rear of the site, the lowest level is exposed to become a four-story façade.
Creating A Traditional Exterior
The composition of the exterior is traditional in nature and has a cast stone base, brick mid-section, and topped with a cast stone cornice. A hipped roof hides the rooftop mechanical equipment, while the colors, textures, and scale are complementary to the town’s historic Courthouse. Further site development included the re-design and expansion of the parking lot. A garden wall hides the cars from South Congress as well as the addition of trees and landscaping. A secondary lot is also located at the rear of the site. The low portion of the site accommodates site drainage and is treated as an attractive feature.
The new York County Government Center is an 80,000 square foot County Administration Building located at the corner of South Congaree Street and West Jefferson Street across from the existing historic courthouse.
