What Makes a Winner
When selecting the judges for the Station Style Design Awards, we try to find fire chiefs or officers who have hands-on experience in designing fire stations. We also include architects from different geographical areas. This year’s judges included three fire-department personnel who also have experience in architecture and engineering.
And the judges — first time and returning — could all agree on one thing: the competition was tough this year.
The first design awards in 2000 had 23 entries in four categories; this year’s program had 87 entries in six categories. Judges reviewed each entry on their own before meeting with the other judges. Each brought his or her top three choices in each category to the final judging. Discussions were intense as the choices were whittled down to gold, silver and bronze — or none at all.
Returning judges had noticed significant changes in this year’s entries:
• “More training within the stations.” And another quickly added, “So much so that I expect it now.”
• “Many of our clients are volunteers, and their training facility is 50 miles away. They hold their breath when anyone sends them away for training. It’s a lot easier to bring in one instructor to teach rather than send off your firefighters.”
• “Functionality is the key in the fire station.”
• “Operations comes first.”
• “LEED is expected in all architecture. It’s soon approaching the code level would be sustainability. A lot of cities are funding LEEDs buildings.”
One seasoned judge explained the initial criteria for each entry. “The first thing we look at if it is operationally sound. You can have good design with a small amount of money or a large amount of money.”
Another judged added, “I don’t think square foot cost has a big impact on my decision. You look at it and say it’s an expense.”
“Far more important is matching the client’s budget than what it is and more important what is it for that community.”
Sometimes I wish we recorded the eight-hour judging process. The discussions and arguments about various aspects of facilities, locations and creativity are valuable lessons. The pros and cons from everything aspect of a facility from the drive-through bays to location of decontamination rooms are learning opportunities.
Watch for the November issue and see if you agree with the 2009 Station Style judges.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:48 pm
As always, the stations selected are impressive, with significant architectural impact. We follow a little different path. We have a standard and large station, built in accordance with a design guide. Where possible, stations are the same, with elevations designed to blend with the community. Normally all spaces, adjacency and specifications are the same. Where real estate dictates, boxes are stacked differently, but the spaces are the same. We emphasize operational safety, readiness and comfort. Work and living areas have immediate access to the apparatus bays. Though we have built LEED, we more emphasize “smart green”, savings through efficiency, durability, and availability. A few rules: though impressive, avoid masonry, stay low, don’t skimp on floor sections, go total hardsacpe in behind the gates and zero scap in fromt. Eliminate carpet flooring and apolstered items, lavies at all apparatus bays access. Standardization reduces cost, extends service and reduces maintenance. Trouble is, it “don’t” win many architectural awards.
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