In Quarters: Westlake, TX, Fire-EMS Station No. 1

Aug. 25, 2020
The new Westlake Fire-EMS Station No. 1 was conceived as an iconic image to establish the standard for all new commercial and municipal construction projects to follow.

This facility received a Career 1 Bronze Award in Firehouse's 2019 Station Design Awards. Find the full list of winners here.

Located on one of the most prominent corners in the Town, the new Westlake Fire-EMS Station No. 1 was conceived as an iconic image to establish the standard for all new commercial and municipal  construction projects to follow. Informed by the design of the Fire Station, the Town of Westlake has codified its own unique style, inspired by traditional Old World Catalonian architecture that features clay tile roofs, rubble stone masonry facades, and cedar accents. The project is comprised of two buildings, the Fire Station and Administration, joined by a covered breezeway that serves both as the fire station dining patio and a break out space for the fire training.

The program includes four pull-through apparatus bays, accommodating for six career crew plus a captain, and living quarters for additional volunteer staff. The administration building provides offices for the Fire Chief, Fire Marshal and Administrative Assistant, and includes a hardened enclosure that houses a training room and Emergency Operation Center. The administration break area doubles as support spaces for training, dining and public events, lined by stone arcades that are carried through from the building exterior.

Access to the Administration building carries pedestrians across two stone bridges spanning the bioswale, which used a combination of river cobble and vegetation to filter stormwater run-off as it returns to the groundwater system. The placement of the buildings on the site enhances the natural topography and anchors the building as an emblem of civic identity that emphasizes accessibility to the Town's citizens.

Architect/Firm Name: Brown Reynolds Watford Architects

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