Grand Forks County Office Building

Grand Forks, North Dakota

Grand Forks County sustained heavy damage to its offices on South Fourth and Fifth Streets during the 1997 flood of the Red River. The county commissioners decided to replace the lost facilities with a new structure capable of housing all the county departments previously fragmented throughout Grand Forks.

Due to the limited site and square footage required to combine the county functions into one building, a seven story building was needed. The exterior reflects the style of the County Court House across the street. Precast panels were used to represent the stone facade of the “federal” style, and the window size and placement is directly proportional to the Court House.

While the building style simulates the Court House, elements such as the glass curtain wall and prefinished metal panel dome tend to its contemporary stature.