Harris County Courthouse

Harris County Courthouse

Houston, Texas

The Harris County Courthouse, located in downtown Houston, was constructed in 1910 by Lang and Witchell Architects. The courthouse is considered one of the most significant historic courthouses in Texas.

Architexas was contracted by PGAL, the prime architect, to serve as the preservation architect for the exterior restoration and the restoration of the primary preservation zones within the Courthouse. Major alterations to the building occurred during a 1953 renovation which included removal of the monumental entry stairs at the Fannin and San Jacinto Street entries, removal and replacement of exterior and interior windows throughout, removal of terra cotta elements on the exterior of the building, closing the central rotunda by infilling the floor at each level, enclosing the decorative cast iron stair case, and modifying the courtrooms from 2-story monumental spaces by incorporating an intermediate floor. Additionally, the introduction of MEP systems caused significant damage to decorative ornamental plaster and marble finishes throughout.

Architexas was responsible for surveying and documenting the conditions of remaining historic elements on the interior and exterior of the building and preparation of construction documents to restore the altered elements of the building to their 1910 restoration date. ARCHITEXAS also worked closely with PGAL to sensitively incorporate MEP systems within preservation zones and provided construction administration services related to restoration work.