James A. McClure Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse Preservation

The James A. McClure Federal Building and U. S. Courthouse in Boise was designed and constructed from 1961-1968. Hennebery Eddy researched emerging systems and technologies of the time and consulted with the original architect, Idaho modern master Charles Hummel, ultimately helping the U.S. General Services Administration understand the intangible character-defining features unique to modernist design and theory. These include visual connection through the building to the adjacent landscapes and materials that continue from the exterior to the interior, as well as the importance of newly patented building systems of the 1960s, such as suspended ceilings with uniquely integrated mechanical systems.

Hennebery Eddy completed a Determination of Eligibility (DOE) process and found the McClure Federal Building eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places as an excellent example of federal architecture and modernism in Boise and the state of Idaho; in 2019, we successfully nominated the building to the register. We also prepared a Building Preservation Plan (BPP) identifying the significant design and material aspects, establishing preservation zones, and providing recommendations for ways to accommodate change over time. These documentation and planning efforts have influenced how GSA Region 10 looks at their modern western resources.