Criteria Architect Services for the New East County Courthouse

The Judicial Council of California is seeking a qualified firm to act as the “Criteria Architect” for the new East County Courthouse project in Kern County. The selected firm will provide site‑selection and acquisition support, develop the architectural program, compile performance‑criteria documents, and ensure criteria compliance throughout all phases of the design‑build process. The work is fixed‑fee, based on fully‑loaded hourly rates submitted in the billing‑rates attachment, and the overall project has a guaranteed‑maximum price of roughly $44.6 million. This contract will commence after award (estimated February 2027) and continue through final acceptance of construction, likely spanning several years. • Scope includes site selection, architectural programming, criteria development, and ongoing compliance reviews for a three‑courtroom courthouse (~26,000 sf). • Firm must be a licensed architect or PE in California, meet prevailing‑wage, CARB, insurance, and conflict‑of‑interest requirements, and disclose any generative‑AI usage. • Proposals (SOQ and cost) are due by 2 PM PT on December 3, 2026; a pre‑proposal conference (optional) is on November 6, 2026.