The John Adams Courthouse in Boston, MA, houses the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the Oliver Wendell Holmes Court, two Appeals Courts, and the Social Law Library, along with all support and ancillary spaces. A century overdue for thorough renovation, design/planning began in 1994 and construction finished in 2004. Listed on both the State and National Historic Registers, preservation and restoration were essential, requiring creative adaptation of historic figures for improved acoustics and seamless integration of modern audio-visual capabilities.

All new mechanical, communications, technology, broadcasting, and safety systems were incorporated; outdated light wells were converted into 50,000sf of new floorspace; new parking garages were constructed in the basement; and major mechanical equipment was inserted; all without expanding the building footprint.

Acoustical consulting provided as a Cavanaugh Tocci Assoc., Sudbury, MA project, K. Anthony Hoover, FASA Principal Consultant.