This facility received a Career 2 Notable award at the 2023 Firehouse Station Design Awards. The full list of winners can be found here.
This four-bay battalion headquarters station features 13 single-occupancy dormitories (with walk-through lockers to the hallway), gender-neutral shower rooms, office/bedrooms for the captain and battalion commander, decontamination rooms, a mezzanine level training room, separate contaminated and clean zones, a training conference room open to the public without compromising station security, a large covered patio, and a physical training room.
The site bordered the county courts and administrative campus, but had minimal street frontage. To speed up response times, equipment bays are positioned at the end of Willis Road so emergency vehicles can drive directly to the intersection with Staples Mill Road, where a yield signal has been installed. Parking is located to the east of the building, so the entire south side of the building faces the undeveloped area that occupies the rest of the property.
Consistent with the county’s firehouse concept, the design features colors and materials that match the surroundings (brick and precast concrete), translating the precast into a matching-colored metal panel. The roof forms summarize the exterior wall details in a simple massing concept that conveys the organization of the spaces within. The bay windows and ancillary spaces are grouped under a single-slope metal roof. The common spaces are under single-slope metal roofs that slope to the south. These common space masses are more massive on the east and west sides to cope with low sun angles, but utilize floor-to-ceiling glass windows and deep roof overhangs along the south side for indoor-outdoor living. The sleeping quarters and showers are under a flat roof and have smaller punched-hole windows.
Orientation for the public is ensured by the alignment of the entrance with the sidewalk access, the building
Signage, flagpole locations and a glass entrance door. The fire department terrace is shielded by a brick wall.
Architect/Company name: BKV Group
