Fairbanks Ranch Fire Station

This fire station project includes an apparatus room with two drive-thru bays, five crew bunk rooms and one captain’s bunk room, fitness room, day room, study, kitchen and dining, workshop, medical storage, captain’s office, clean room, public and private parking, fueling facility, emergency generator, and hose drying area. Site location was crucial in order for the fire department to be able to respond to emergency calls in the minimum amount of time within the service area. Over 80 stone columns 40’ deep were drilled to prevent liquefaction in the event of an earthquake. A 20’ tall soldier pile wall, comprised of 24 epoxy coated soldier beams up to 45’ in length, was constructed to retain the eastern portion of the site. This wall was then artistically finished to reflect the natural characteristics of the geology in the region. Another critical element of the building design was efficient circulation for fire personnel to access their equipment and apparatus from any point in the station as quickly as possible in order to provide the fastest response times. Placement of the stairways near crew living areas and the apparatus bay as well as the addition of an ideally located slide pole achieve this goal. Lastly, given the high profile community this station is located in, it was very important that the architectural style complement the neighborhood comprised of multi-million dollar homes. Design cues were taken from classical architect Andrea Palladio to provide an Italian villa character indicative of the surroundings. The principles of rhythm, symmetry, and proportion are exemplified on all elevations. This project also demonstrates that LEED certification is not necessary to still implement sustainable principles. A cool roof, the use of recyclable and low VOC building materials, drought tolerant indigenous landscape, low water usage irrigation, erosion and sedimentation control, effective daylighting, indoor chemical and pollutant source control, thermal comfort and controllability of systems, stormwater design, light pollution reduction, and innovation in design all contribute to preserving the environment.