Project Details
- Project Name
- Mercer Island Fire Station 92
- Location
- WA
- Architect
- The Miller Hull Partnership
- Client/Owner
- Mercer Island Fire Station
- Project Types
- Community
- Project Scope
- New Construction
- Size
- 8,000 sq. feet
- Year Completed
- 2015
- Shared by
- The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP
- Project Status
- Built
“Operations drives the design, and the execution is flawless. There is a super judicious use of materials, and a great sense of scale and public awareness.” —Jury statement
The quiet suburban enclave of Mercer Island, Wash., is now home to a firehouse whose crisp modern design seems to place the community on equal footing with big, sophisticated Seattle back on the mainland. Designed by the Seattle office of the Miller Hull Partnership, the building acts as a kind of exhibition space for the technical spectacle of civic service: Through its glazed garage façade, passersby can see the firetrucks as they sit waiting, along with the various tubes and ducts used to maintain them, and the firefighters themselves as they swing into action at the sound of the emergency bell.
Roofed by a space frame, the main structure is almost entirely unencumbered by interior supports, and the primary materials palette of glass and metal lends it a refined urbanity. At the same time, the architects have added patches of wood slatting, a rustic note in keeping with the leafy park-side site and with the forested Pacific Northwest in general.
In a climate where year-round moisture and highly variable temperatures can be taxing on HVAC systems, the Miller Hull team has succeeded in fitting together the building’s economical, off-the-shelf components with such precision that the firehouse achieves a level of insulation almost double the legally mandated rate. The resulting energy efficiency helps boost the building’s stellar ecological bona fides; even more importantly, it backs up the image of cool, cozy hominess that the building projects, creating a comfortable environment for the firefighters who work in it.
Project Credits
Project: Mercer Island Fire Station 92, Mercer Island, Wash.
Architect: The Miller Hull Partnership, Seattle . Scott Wolf, FAIA (design lead); Sian Roberts, FAIA (partner-in-charge); Adam Loughry, AIA (project manager); Kate Spitzer, AIA (project architect); Chuck Weldy (specifications)
Client: City of Mercer Island
General Contractor: Corp., Inc.
Structural Engineer: Seattle Structural
Mechanical Engineer: Sider + Byers
Electrical Engineer: Travis Fitzmaurice Wartelle Balangue Engineers
Civil Engineer/Landscape Design: MIG|SvR
Cost Estimating: C & N Consultants
Size: 8,000 square feet
Project Description
FROM THE AIA:
Fire stations are inherently magnetic. From the earliest ages, we are drawn almost magically to the firefighters, firetrucks and the equipment contained in these civic landmarks. The design for the 8,000-square-foot replacement of FS92, originally built in 1962, embraces this attraction by providing inviting views into the apparatus bay from the main pedestrian and vehicular thoroughfare in this small island community. This visibility promotes a greater connection to the people that the fire station serves, resulting in increased awareness and vocal advocacy for these vital services.
FROM THE 2018 AIA INSTITUTE HONOR AWARDS FOR ARCHITECTURE JURY:
Operations drives design and the execution is flawless. A necessary renovation turned modern reinterpretation of a traditional civic building into a simple box with layers of transparency that visually and physically connect the functions to the street. Great balance of functionality and warmth of materials make this a beautiful facility. Balanced work and relaxation are desired combo for firefighting facilities and certainly that balance is achieved here. As a public project, it is clearly a labor of love. Super judicious use of materials; great scale, sense of public awareness. Best of all this honors the incredibly hard working firefighters deserving of such a light space.
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
This building replaces the original FS #92 – built in 1962 as a small volunteer fire station updated with incremental additions over the years. Seismic deficiencies and years of deferred maintenance had left the station unsafe, with little street presence on a highly visible and heavily trafficked community thoroughfare adjacent to a popular neighborhood shopping center. Directly across the street is Pioneer Park, 113 acres of land maintained by the City of Mercer Island as a native northwest forest.
There is something inherently magnetic about fire stations. From the earliest ages, kids love to look at and be invited by the firefighters to climb on or ride in a fire truck. Adults use kids as an excuse to visit the fire station, and secretly hope that they too get the knowing wink from the firefighters and are allowed to climb on one of the rigs.
Providing open and inviting views into the apparatus bay from the sidewalk and street creates a more positive connection to the community . Greater connections lead to improved awareness, which in turn leads to a higher level of support and vocal advocacy for these vital community services.
DOUBLE DUTY–Cedar slats at the main entry form a semi-permeable screen, providing the building's main identity while limiting views to a second floor outdoor deck. On the deck behind the wood slats, firefighters retain a filtered view to the adjacent park while maintaining a degree of privacy. For pedestrians and vehicles approaching the station from east and/or west, the slats form a solid panel that provides occupant privacy. Large CNC (computer numerical control) routed '92' numbers ' identify the station and are more or less visible depending on viewing angle and lighting conditions.
Designed in the wake of the Bullitt Center, this fire station was seen as an opportunity to integrate state-of-the-art, but low cost sustainable design strategies. One of the simplest and most cost efficient ways of saving energy is to design an airtight building envelope. Lessons learned on envelope design from the Bullitt Center were applied here, resulting in a measured infiltration rate of 0.1cm/sf, a 75% reduction from code allowed levels and providing enhanced thermal comfort for the firefighters.
Public safety touches all of our lives. Whether it is the people serving in the justice system, or in our local police and fire departments, we rely on them to be there when we need them and tend to forget about them until we do. They provide largely invisible services that become visible only in times of greatest need. One of the goals for this building was to increase the public awareness of the importance of the facility and for it to be a more engaging, welcoming and positive presence in the community it serves.
FROM THE AIA:
Fire stations are inherently magnetic. From the earliest ages, we are drawn almost magically to the firefighters, firetrucks and the equipment contained in these civic landmarks. The design for the 8,000-square-foot replacement of FS92, originally built in 1962, embraces this attraction by providing inviting views into the apparatus bay from the main pedestrian and vehicular thoroughfare in this small island community. This visibility promotes a greater connection to the people that the fire station serves, resulting in increased awareness and vocal advocacy for these vital services.
