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April 27, 2018

Fire Station 32 wins LEED platinum while making the most of a tight site

Photos by Nic Lehoux [enlarge]
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson designed the West Seattle station.

Fire Station 32 in West Seattle's fast-growing Alaska Junction neighborhood recently earned LEED platinum certification.

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson designed the 18,000-square-foot station at 38th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Alaska Street.

It opened last August, and replaces a 40-year-old station. Engine Company 32, Ladder Company 11, Medic Unit 32 and Battalion Chief 7 are housed there.

In a press release, BCJ said the compact site — between single-family houses and a dense commercial area — had enough space for three floors above grade and a basement.

The lower floors are for operations and administrative functions, while the top floor is the firefighters' living quarters. Public spaces, such as the station office and beanery (where firefighters make coffee and eat) are visible from the street. Private bunk rooms and individual offices are along the quieter residential sides.

The entry is marked by a large art piece: a 25-foot-tall, wall-mounted fire truck that was inspired by the toy trucks a West Seattle resident carved for the previous firehouse.

A low canopy draws visitors into the entry vestibule, which has views of the apparatus bay and bunker gear storage.

Design principal Robert Miller said, “We designed the station to meet the needs of the firefighters and medics, allowing them to respond as quickly as possible. We also wanted to increase the visibility of the fire department and the vital role it plays in the community.”

BCJ said the building uses a number of sustainable systems, including green roofs to reduce the heat-island effect, a solar hot water system, high-efficiency HVAC and photovoltaic systems that result in 50 percent annual energy savings. The station also has natural daylight.

“A fire station is not just where firefighters work — it is where we live, trade stories and decompress,” said Michael “Miki” Mann, a firefighter and paramedic at the station. “The success of this space, the way it is designed to enhance group interaction and team building, cannot be underestimated.”

The team also included Howard S. Wright, a Balfour Beatty company, general contractor; Coughlin Porter Lundeen, civil engineer; Swift Co., landscape architect; PCS Structural Solutions, structural engineer; Hargis Engineers, mechanical engineer; Travis Fitzmaurice & Associates, electrical engineer; Tetra Tech, alerting systems; TCA, fire station consultant; A3 Acoustics, acoustical; RDH Building Solutions, envelope consultant; Brightworks, sustainability consultant; IDL & Solarc Energy Group, energy modeling and daylighting; The Robinson Co., cost estimating; Cite|Specific, specification; and Engineered Artworks, artist.








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