A restrictive, sloping site on the City's historic "Courthouse Hill" was chosen for the new 18,900 square foot structure to house a new circuit courtroom (to supplement the existing courtroom in the historic Hustings Courthouse), a new circuit court clerk's office, and a magistrate's office. Due to the site's topography, a three-story building was nestled into the hillside, satisfying the owner's desire to have separate public entrances on each floor for the court personnel, public and in-custody defendants.   The adjacency to the Hustings Courthouse required a design respectful of the historic context yet still distinguishable as a "court building". The building's massing was developed to more closely resemble other, smaller adjacent buildings, thereby not competing with Hustings Courthouse. Building materials were selected to make reference to historical details of the area. Hand-molded brick was chosen for the exterior, along with a cast stone that references the old courthouse's granite foundation. Trim colors were matched to the surrounding buildings.