Completed in 1997, the U.S. Courthouse in Minneapolis, is named for Diana E. Murphy, a former federal judge who served with the U.S. District and Appeals courts. Home to both the U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts, the 30-story courthouse features a modern steel-frame and stone-face design and has won GSA Design Excellence Awards for both architecture and landscaping. The 4,645-square-meter plaza, designed by Martha Schwartz, features grass mounds planted with Jack Pines, suggesting the glacial drumlins common to Minnesota during the Ice Age.
Lerch Bates’ plaza deck condition assessment services for Snow Kreilich Architects included a familiarisation review of documentation relating to the installed waterproofing materials and maintenance history, on site meeting with facility maintenance personnel to discuss observed performance issues, observation of interior spaces below the plaza to identify potential water infiltration locations, exterior observation of plaza deck finishes, and observation of assessment openings. A technical memorandum was issued following the assessment and included a summary of installed materials and observed conditions, recommendations for repair/replacement, recommendations for additional investigation, and digital photographs.
