Tunica-Biloxi Courthouse and Police Headquarters

TEAM: SO Studio, Lue Svendson Landscape Architect
CLIENT: Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana
LOCATION: Marksville, Louisiana
COMPLETION: December 2024

This addition and renovation better separates the police and court operations while updating to improve functionality of both the courthouse and the police station. The most defining feature of the design is the courtroom with its tall ceilings and adorning brise-soleil screen. The screen, created using computer scripting technology, is based on patterns from the tribe’s archaeological findings.

This project was made possible with Federal and Tribal funds and was bid under Public Bid Law.

The shadows cast on the front brick facade, as well as the floor and walls of the courtroom, change over the course of the day and the year. This use of light for tracking the year is often seen in ancient Native American architectural sites across the Americas.