Pinal County Attorney Office

The desert adapts when resources are limited, which inspired the design of the Pinal County Attorney building, with specific focus on the saguaro cactus. The saguaro’s ribs establish structural stability that not only allows expansion and contraction of the cactus with fluctuating water containment, but also allows it to be self-shading, breaking up sunlight into small footprints that shift continually and prevent the cactus from overheating.

The north and west facades are constructed of full height curtain walls with filtered light penetrating the west side, as scattered perforated panels angle off the building to self-shade and minimize solar heat gain. Colored accents scatter the panels to mimic the blossoming of cactus flowers. The south façade is almost entirely opaque with slot windows, while the east side is completely opaque due to the close adjacency to the existing courthouse.

Resources were tight on space within the site, forcing the building design to adapt. The placement minimizes lost parking, maximizes views, allows a short connection to the adjacent courthouse, and becomes a security perimeter for employee parking. The building is located and shaped to minimize solar heat gain, which became positively narrow due to the use of sliding doors that eliminate space needed for door swings.

The opacity of the exterior signifies hierarchy – the users needed attorneys to have access to views and paralegals to be on the interior of the building. With how narrow the facility is, the opaqueness of the south façade created “interior” offices to be on an exterior wall while still allowing those users access to views and natural daylighting. Natural lighting is welcomed in from the exterior using full width glass fronts at all offices and conference rooms, through which daylighting spills into the building center where the staff support teams, and elevator lobbies are housed.