Plan of Watkinsville

The existing area within the city limits is shown. The orange circle, centered on the courthouse, indicates a five-minute walk from center to edge, or 10 minutes across.

The red buildings indicate buildings that are civic in nature, serving community functions. The orange circle indicates a five-minute walk from center to edge.

The proposed plan reinforces the crossing axes of Main Street (commercial) and Courthouse-Rocket Field (civic). The new Civic Green links the Courthouse to the proposed Municipal Hall and OCAF campus.

A further zoomed view, with the Courthouse shown in red to the west. Rocket Field is the green square to the east, with OCAF and the Board of Education buildings shown in red beside it.

The purple buildings indicate historically significant structures, while the yellow buildings are those of a less durable construction which have limited lifespans with an opportunity for redevelopment.

A closer view of the new Civic Green. On the western end, the Courthouse is shown in pink, next door to a future courthouse annex in red. The new Municipal Hall is shown in red on the eastern end adjacent to the OCAF campus.

The proposed administrative center would meet the practical needs of the city and county, but more importantly, provides an important focal point and a significant and lasting landmark in the heart of the community.

The Municipal Hall with the immediate surrounding context. The building anchors the Civic Green, but also creates a series of smaller spaces in conjunction with historic school buildings and gymnasium and proposed buildings.

With the main entrance a few steps above the new green on the left side of the building, citizens are free to enter into the main two-level hall, the Hall of the People. The building is designed into three wings, meant to provide flexible work space to employees with ample daylight and the opportunity for natural ventilation. A secondary entrance is provided at the terminus of Court Street to allow access from the green and from the mid-block employee parking lot at the rear of the building.

Climbing the stairs in the main entry hall, the shared city and county council chambers occupy the central bay of the front façade overlooking the public green, and to the left and right in the side bays of the main mass are the offices of the Mayor and the County Commission Chairman. In this manner, the public can symbolically “keep an eye on” the council members and leaders from inside as well as from the civic green.

The facade has simple massing, employing the Classical language common to civic buildings to create a dignified anchor to the Civic Green. The secondary entrance in the center provides a visual termination to the proposed Court Street.

This section through the length of the building illustrates the primary "public" areas--both entry vestibules and the main corridor.