Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building

The Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building is a six-story federal facility in downtown Nashville that houses the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee and several federal agencies. Completed in 2022, the building demanded a glazing solution that could honor its civic presence while meeting the stringent security requirements of a federal courthouse. PS delivered a full glazing package for Fentress Architects and Hensel Phelps, including custom-engineered curtainwall for the building’s distinctive segmented facade, blast-resistant exterior glazing meeting federal anti-terrorism and force-protection standards, high-performance IGUs for solar control and energy efficiency, and interior glazing for secure zones and courtrooms. Precise fabrication and 3D BIM coordination were essential to achieving the tight tolerances required by the facade’s complex geometry, while careful sequencing kept the downtown installation on schedule. The result is an iconic civic landmark – light-filled and welcoming from the outside, rigorously protected within – that earned both LEED Gold and SITES Silver certifications.