Aberdeen Volunteer Fire Department – House #1
Accomplishments
Station Design Award – Firehouse
Completed in 2021, the central station for the Aberdeen Fire Department underwent extensive construction to modernize the aging station. The design focuses on improving response time, mitigating exposure to carcinogens, supporting responder health and wellness, expanding community engagement, and enhancing training. The old station had served the community for nearly 50 years and now stands ready for 50 more. The final results exemplify best design practices and reflect the department’s commitment to responder health and wellness. The 10,800 GSF existing apparatus bays received a complete modernization consisting of the door, lighting, flooring, alerting, and mechanical upgrades. A new 4-story drill tower flanks the end of the bays to provide training opportunities while allowing crews to hone their skills while remaining in service. The station’s previous, dilapidated living and operations portion was demolished to accommodate 20,500 GSF of new construction.
Features within the addition include a new 100+ person multi-purpose training room, individual bunk rooms, fitness center, an inviting kitchen, and offices. Serving as the central station for Aberdeen, the lobby is home to historic apparatus and memorabilia that celebrates the department’s 100-year-old history. Natural daylight fills nearly every occupiable room of the building through windows and clerestory dormers. The exterior materials and form were selected to comply with the City’s architectural design requirements. The design provides first responders with safe and efficient access to their gear and equipment. The apparatus bays are separated, both physically and mechanically, from living areas of the station to mitigate the risk of exposure to contaminants. Clearly delineated “one-way” response paths lead responders directly to apparatus from the rooms that are most frequently occupied – while innovative transitional decontamination space with sinks, showers, and walk-off mats creates a natural flow for responders to re-enter the clean zones of the station and return to service.
