The Waterloo Region Courthouse is a modern, accessible facility that consolidates Superior Court and Ontario Court of Justice services currently delivered from three locations across the Waterloo region.

The materials used both inside and on the exterior of the Waterloo Region Courthouse form an integral part of the building's image. Not only are the materials chosen for their durability, ease of maintenance and security, but they help define the courthouse as a major public institution that reflects the local landscape.

Stone soffit installation at Atrium entrance. 

Typical courtroom public corridor and waiting areas with honed stone wall finish on the left and sandblasted wall finish on the right of view.  

The stone walls around the public plaza and along Frederick Street are a carefully chosen limestone called Ledge Rock. It is interspersed with a darker variety of stone called Wiarton Black, to give the appearance of layers of sedimentary rock formation.   In keeping with sustainable design practices, emphasis was placed on the selection of local materials, so the stone is from the Niagara escarpment and quarried in Owen Sound. 

In the interior of the building, more refined finishing treatments were used on the stone. Along the public corridors that serve the courtrooms, as well as in the waiting areas and the public counter areas, a horizontal pattern of honed limestone tiles was used with a single dark band of tile that is coordinated with the courtroom signage.

Prior to any stone being laid, the stone masons constructed stone wall mock-ups to confirm the appropriate selection and detailing of the stone.  

While much of the stone installation was routine work for the masons, there were some challenges to installing the stone on the curved walls within the courthouse.  For example, to avoid excess overhang on the inside corners, the stone lengths were shortened, resulting in a very regular, unnatural look. To resolve this issue, the masons avoided placing similar-sized stones side-by-side.   

The stone selection, along with the installation methods used by the masons, helped achieve the desired look and feel of the new courthouse. 

Contacts: 

Jennifer Asals
Infrastructure Ontario 
416-326-9357 

Brendan Crawley 
Ministry of the Attorney General
Communications Branch 
416-326-2210 

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