This station received the Career 2 Gold Award in Firehouse's 2017 Station Design Awards. Find the full list of winners here.
In 1942, the Harvard, Midland and Larchmont (HM&L) Fire Department was established as a nonprofit organization funded by dances and donations. The generational Baskett family, owner of the adjacent lumber mill, managed incoming requests for service for the organization from their home to the hardware store across the street. Almost 65 year later, after the construction of their 1953 station, located a block away from the family’s home, the Baskett family sold the historic Baskett Lumber site to the district to construct a new 8,378-square-foot station, carrying on their support of the continually evolving fire district and community.
Under the stewardship of Central Pierce Fire & Rescue, the district wanted to give back to the family and design a facility that respected the history of the community, site and family.
Reflective of the organic growth and character of the original historic metalclad sawmill, the station’s massing and materials are scaled to the adjacent structures and homes in the service-based community while incorporating all the features of a forward-thinking facility. All finishes and associated furnishings were selected for their sustainability, durability, ability to be sanitized, and integration into the mill concept.
The station includes three apparatus bays with source-capture exhaust systems, support areas strategically located to prevent cross-contamination, cleaning stations at transition zones leading to the living areas, six individual sleeping rooms with locker alcoves, efficient travel paths to the apparatus room, a firefighter work area, and kitchen, dining and dayroom functions. To further support the community, the district added a dedicated Aid Room.
The site includes extensive water quality and on-site detention systems, uses salmon-safe site planning strategies, uses 80 percent native vegetation, and exceeds the requirements of the Washington State Energy Code, one of the most stringent codes in the country.
Architect: TCA Architecture Planning, Inc.
