The interior of Station 3 includes a
spacious kitchen with heavy-duty
range, a fully equipped workout
room, and comfortable living
quarters with virtually soundproof
walls. The building was designed
to optimize views of the retention
pond to the south.
buildings of distinction
E ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION to
the site and see if there’s anything we
can take advantage of,” Loudermilk
says. “On this site, we have the great
advantage of the pond. There’s geese
out there sometimes, there’s fish.
We wanted to focus as many of the
‘‘ W
spaces as possible on that pond: the training room, the kitchen, the
fitness center, and the lounge, where they spend a lot of time just
hanging out. Their job is stressful. They need to be able to get away
from that.”
Between the windows and the pond is a covered outdoor area
with a grill, picnic tables and benches, and ceiling fans. The space
serves two purposes. It’s another place for the firefighters to relax
when not on a call or training, and it shades the windows from the
sun.
The efforts to make the fire station feel like a home to the men
and women who live there while on shift extended to the sleeping
quarters. They are located in the middle of the one-story building,
separated from the apparatus bay by administrative offices, yet close
enough to allow for fast response times.
“You want them to be quiet and away from the noise, and an
apparatus bay is kind of a noisy place,” Loudermilk says. “There
are double stud walls with a one-inch space between the two walls.
Both stud walls are filled with sound batting insulation. It gives you
a high level of sound resistance. The other thing our interior design
group did was to make sure the finishes they selected felt warm and
cozy, like a house. The sleeping rooms have carpet. The colors are
more residential in nature, so it doesn’t feel institutional.”
Station No. 3 is the first in the city to gain LEED certification.
It has low-volume plumbing fixtures, a high-efficiency HVAC sys-tem,
solar panels to heat water for a radiant slab in the apparatus
bay, recycled and regional building materials, and dedicated parking
spaces for low-emission vehicles and car pools.
“The city wanted to do it for Station 3, to be somewhat sustain-able,”
Blackley says.
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WBM september 2017