The renovation of the historic Livingston County Courthouse in downtown Pontiac, Illinois, has been recognized with a 2013 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award. Sponsored by Landmarks Illinois, the state's leading historic preservation advocacy organization, the award recognizes successful restoration and adaptive reuse projects. Dewberry led the design of the complex project for Livingston County.

The meticulous renovation project followed the construction of a new law and justice center on adjacent property, which enabled the county to relocate its court facilities to a modern justice center environment. The circa-1875 courthouse was then gutted and modernized to accommodate non-court-related administrative offices. The original grand courtroom, located on the upper level, was transformed to serve as the county board room and a setting for special events.

A prior remodeling had carved the spacious Victorian-era courtroom into three smaller courtrooms with jury rooms, holding cells, and other support spaces housed beneath a suspending ceiling of acoustical tiles. During a planning meeting for the renovation, Judge Robert M. Travers informed Dewberry's design team that the original 27-foot ceiling was still in place above the suspended ceiling. Working with a ten-foot ladder and a flashlight, the architects peered into the neglected space and immediately noticed the dramatic arched windows, barrel-vaulted wooden beams, and a punched tin ceiling.

The county supported Dewberry's vision for restoring the courtroom space to its full height and original design. With no as-built drawings and few photos of the original space to work from, Dewberry turned to Illinois-based Valdes Engineering Co. to obtain laser scans that would reveal existing conditions above the acoustical ceiling and behind the courthouse walls. The scans helped determine a defined scope of work and cost estimates, create as-built drawings and a BIM model, and complete more effective constructability reviews.

The renovation involved repair of the building's windows, wood trim, doors, wainscot, and other finishes. The HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, security, and IT systems were replaced. In addition to the courtroom renovation, the main hallway and staircase were restored, offices were remodeled and reconfigured, and the basement was remodeled. The first floor's 16 original pine doors were discovered in storage off-site and restored to replace aluminum and glass doors that had been installed in the 1980s.

Exterior improvements included historically accurate lighting fixtures, handrails, and fencing. The building, which had previously been limited to one entry point for security reasons, is now once again accessible from all four sides, making it much more welcoming and user-friendly.

Dewberry's services included architecture, interior design, mechanical/electrical and plumbing engineering, structural engineering, civil engineering, landscape architecture, and fire protection.