Rattlesnake Fire Rescue Station #55 | Southeast Facade
Rattlesnake Fire Rescue Station #55, located in Elbert County (CO), is a project I worked on while I was with Architectural Workshop (ArchShop). The project primarily involved creating a schematic design that would accommodate the fire station as well as a community center.
The images you see for this project are from a design I worked on after I left ArchShop. The strategy for the original design proposed by ArchShop was based on the fire station having a more residential aesthetic to visually blend with the surrounding homesteads. This design takes the stance that the size and mass of the fire station is too large to cohesively integrate with the homes of this area. So instead this building embraces its large mass and its design is shaped by the local surroundings.
The main entrance is marked by a wooden tower reminiscent of the barns in the area. The fire station is proposed to be located at the northwest corner of two major roads so the tower also acts as a beacon, a way-finder if you will, for anyone driving by. The large expanse of windows of the community room can be seen to the right of the main entrance, thus allowing guests to the building to be able to find their destination much easier.
I created this computer using Google SketchUp, so by implementing the solar controls within that program I was able to size the roof overhangs so that they would provide shade for the south facing windows in the summer and allow direct sunlight during the winter. Another sustainable feature was to have the north and west facing roofs to be constructed with a green roof system, thus minimizing water runoff from the roofs but also providing a more insulated roof against the winds during the winter. The major south facing roof over the garage is designed to have solar panels, maximizing the solar energy potential for the building.
The intent for the Rattlesnake Fire Rescue Station #55 is to design a public building that functions for the fire fighters who use it, embodies civic pride, and incorporates sustainable practices which minimize its dependence on external energy sources.
Rattlesnake Fire Rescue Station #55 | West Facade
Blue Architecture 