St. Martinville, Louisiana

Design Challenge: 

Transform an outdated antebellum Courthouse building into a modern facility while maintaining the unique character of its rich architectural history.

Design Solution:

Originally constructed in 1858 in the South Louisiana Parish of St. Martin, the Courthouse is only one of four (4) antebellum courthouses still in use in the State. Located in a very prominent civic location in the parish seat of St. Martinville the highly used building has a rich history and a distinctive Greek temple façade.

After much study and planning, all exterior plaster was restored, windows were replaced with historic replicas, roofing was changed using slate tiles of original coloration, and the grounds were improved to allow for proper access.  Careful to provide exterior and interior design components that were both sensitive to history yet clearly of today, we embarked upon a journey to tell the design story of the building while providing a facility to meet today’s demands.