Sustainable Public Safety

Creation

Coming in under budget, the Colorado River Fire Protection District’s new Station No. 64 is a leader in sustainably-designed fire stations, successfully serving outer lying areas of the district with shorter response times. Designed with several Training by Design elements that support rappelling, ladder training and confined space training, firefighters are enabled to reinforce tactical skills on a regular basis.

Featuring vernacular architectural design rooted in the local community and landscape, the design incorporated native stone and landscaping, rusted corrugated metal roofing and rough timber framing elements. The pre-selected triangular-shaped site presented challenges, with sloping grades of 60 feet from top to bottom. The design solution used the building’s orientation to maximize solar exposure and retain the hillside for efficient program organization.

High-tech green features reduce the building’s carbon footprint and pay back in operational savings over time. A solar-energy system producing half of the building’s electric needs reduces electricity bills by 60% to 75%, ultimately paying for the system in about 20 years. The station’s geo-exchange heating and cooling system reduces natural gas and electricity use by 32%, paying for itself within nine years. Other smart design solutions included daylighting to improve the indoor environment and minimize energy usage, photo sensors and timers to reduce electric consumption and water conservation measures to conserve 7,000 to 8,000 gallons of water each year.