Midtown Blogger/Manhattan Valley Follies: Award Winning Firehouse- Dewberrry

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Award Winning Firehouse- Dewberrry

TRAVILAH FIRE STATION #32 WINS NATIONAL DESIGN AWARD

For Immediate Release
Fairfax, VA | 11.14.2014

Dewberry-designed Travilah Fire Station #32 in Rockville, Maryland, was recognized with a Silver Award in the Firehouse magazine 2014 Station Design Awards program.

Travilah Fire Station #32 in Rockville, Maryland, has been recognized with a Silver Award in the Firehouse magazine 2014 Station Design Awards program. The station, which opened in May and reflects the latest concepts in accommodating emergency response staffing, resources, and training, was designed by Fairfax, Virginia-based Dewberry.

Dewberry worked closely with the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service and the Montgomery County Department of General Services to plan and design the new firehouse, a 26,000-square-foot, four-bay station with a battalion command suite and living and sleeping quarters for firefighters. The building houses an Advanced Life Support (ALS) engine company, a Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance, an Emergency Medical Service (EMS) officer, and command staff capabilities. The station is anticipated to serve more than 40,000 residents within the growing community.

The building's exterior form is organized below a sweeping curvilinear, wave-shaped roof. A glass curtainwall clerestory beneath the roof structure provides natural light to the apparatus bay and interior corridors. An additional clerestory on the west side allows daylight into the open plan kitchen, dining, and lounge spaces inside. The ample use of glass provides open views into the facility.

Several strategies are integrated into the design with a goal of obtaining LEED^® Silver certification. Wetlands and bio-retention areas pre-treat stormwater run-off. The clerestory windows allow for daylight harvesting while artificial lighting equipped with daylighting controls maximizes energy savings. Potable water has been reduced by 30 percent through the use of low-flow sensors. A high-performance HVAC system has been designed to realize a 22 percent energy savings from the baseline energy model.

The design of the fire station required the blending of commercial, residential, and vehicular apparatus space into a functional facility that minimizes firefighter response times to reach the apparatus bays. Interior spaces are arranged to provide a functional and efficient layout with appropriate space adjacencies to promote a safe and comfortable living and working environment. The sleeping rooms are segregated from the apparatus bays and day spaces to minimize noise from the daytime living and working areas.

The living quarters for the firefighters are designed to respect the residential nature of the functions housed while recognizing the need for functional durable finishes that will hold up to the high traffic in the station over time. A variety of finish materials and the strong use of color throughout the building also work to create a non-institutional environment. The final design is a high performing sustainable building with an appealing civic image that will set the tone for development in the future.

Dewberry provided architecture, interior design, sustainability consulting, structural engineering, and civil engineering. Mendoza, Ribas, Farinas and Associates provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering. The project team also included Dustin Construction, Inc.