NELSON Worldwide to Design New Georgia Department of Corrections State Prison

New facility for Georgia helps address the need for more modern infrastructure

ATLANTA — Georgia Building Authority (GBA), Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission (GSFIC), and the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) have selected award-winning architecture, design, and strategy firm NELSON Worldwide as architect of record and design architect for a new Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) facility in south Georgia. The largest project ever built by the State of Georgia, this correctional facility will provide secure infrastructure, modern technology and improved conditions for incarcerated individuals. This project win is representative of NELSON’s growing Civic, Community, Justice and Education (CCJ&E) practice across the country and marks the state’s first prison in over 20 years. 

“I attribute this win to the great relationship and trust we built over the years with GBA, GSFIC, and GDC along with our phenomenal team we’ve structured at the firm to design this new historic project for the State of Georgia,” says Brad Ewing, CCJ&E regional practice leader, associate principal and project director. “In all of our designs, we take a humanistic approach to create secure and safe spaces that improve the human experience in the built environment. We are thrilled GBA, GSFIC, and GDC have chosen us as partners to pave a new path for correctional facility design in the state.”

The state-of-the-art, high-tech secure facility is expected to be approximately 800,000 square feet of housing, kitchen, and laundry, as well as spaces dedicated to religious, education, and vocational programs. It will also contain medical and mental health components for inmate wellness and treatment, particularly to support the aging population. 

In its approach, NELSON has conducted an in-depth analysis on current state prison population needs to determine how to best transform the facilities to be more treatment oriented, sustainable, self-reliant, and technologically advanced. With this project, NELSON endeavors to set a new precedent for correctional and detention facilities moving forward. The project will directly support the local economy, creating opportunities for local employment in the Davisboro area and beyond.

Additional project partners include CGL, HDR, Jericho Design Group, Hansen Architects, Shear Structural, Thomas & Hutton, Conway & Owen, Barnsley Construction Group, Fisher Engineering, Contour Engineering, and SSA Food Service Design +Consulting. Construction is anticipated to begin in November 2023. 

About NELSON Worldwide

NELSON Worldwide is an award-winning firm, boldly transforming all dimensions of the human experience through architecture, interior design, graphic design, and brand strategy. With more than 700 teammates across 20 offices, the firm’s collective network provides strategic and creative solutions that positively impact where people work, serve, play, and thrive. The team combines industry knowledge, service expertise, and geographic reach to deliver projects across the country and around the world. Client partnerships across the NELSON network include Hilton, Macy’s, Comcast, Simon Property Group, Prologis, Yum! Brands, Boston Consulting Group, T-Mobile, Emory Healthcare, SAP Fieldglass, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Kroger, Hyatt, Bayer, Target, and many more. Visit www.nelsonworldwide.com to learn more.