Brampton Fire Station 204 Project

                                                                           DESIGN CONCEPT

The goal of this project, is to improve the quality of life for the fire fighters while they are working at the station. To accomplish this goal, I have decided to focus on two aspects when approaching the redesign of this station: create an environment that is both healthy and comfortable for everyone, and produce minimal carbon footprint by retaining as much of the existing structure as possible.

The existing exterior structure is largely intact aside from the addition of new window openings and some minor adjustments. A small second storey is added to the southernmost portion of the building to free up some space on the ground floor. Much of the interior spaces have been changed to allow for the addition of individual sleeping rooms, as well as the zoning of spaces according to hazardous levels.

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Showers are added next to the PPE room to allow fire fighters to decontaminate right away after an assignment. Corridors that connect the living quarter to the apparatus bays are positively pressurized, which pushes air out when someone enters. These changes minimize the contaminants that enter the living quarter.

One of the ideas behind this proposal is to create an environment that is comfortable to everyone, regardless of their gender identity. This means the new design must provide privacy and inclusivity. In order to do that, the new design is proposing individual sleeping rooms for the fire fighters, which provides privacy that the existing single dorm room does not have. In this proposal, women’s shower/washroom is also being replaced by a separate gender neutral shower and washroom. This will accommodate female fire fighters, as well as anyone that wants an alternative to gendered shower/washroom.

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FINAL DESIGN INTENT STATEMENT
 
The proposed 3D wall section is taken from the exterior wall on south side of the living quarter. The intent of choosing this location is to demonstrate how the new second storey addition connects to the existing ground floor. Retaining the existing concrete block/OWSJ structure is one of the main ideas behind the design of the proposed renovation, as a strategy to practice sustainability. To ensure consistency in structure for construction and maintenance reasons, concrete blocks and open web steel joists are also utilized as the supporting structure for the proposed second storey, as the 3D wall section shows. In terms of exterior cladding, a dark gray brick veneer is chosen for the new addition, to complement the existing brick and metal siding exterior, and to sharpen the overall aesthetic of the fire station. Additionally, the 3D wall section show cases a curtain wall system with operable windows for the new addition (the gym), a feature that allows fire fighters to have more control over natural light and fresh air when exercising, which the existing gym does not have.