In Quarters: Fire Station 43 in Memphis, TN

This facility received the Career 2 Notable Award in the 2021 Firehouse Station Design Awards. Find the full list of winners here. 

Located in the Whitehaven area of South Memphis, Fire Station 43 has deep ties to the community. The project was part of the City of Memphis Equal Business Opportunity Program. The goal of the program is to increase the participation of minority- and women-owned businesses in the city’s purchasing activities. Construction of Fire Station 43 was completed with the hard work of minority- and women-owned general contractor and subcontractor businesses. One can say that Fire Station 43 was built for the community by the community.

The fire station was commissioned to replace the existing station, which was built during the mid-20th century. Holding true to a residential aesthetic, the station blends with the surrounding context while still portraying the look of a fire station via the use of the tall “iconic” apparatus bay doors. Through the intelligent use of sloped roofs and classic materials of stone and brick veneer, the exterior vernacular coexists with the neighborhood that surrounds the firehouse.

Fire Station 43 is a two-story station that accommodates a shift of eight firefighters and as many as three apparatus. Spaces include a watch desk area, a living room, a kitchen, a locker room, a bed hall, men’s and women’s bathrooms, a training room, a fitness center, a turnout room, an EMS support room, and spaces for mechanical and electrical systems. Specific design features include specialized apparatus bay doors, boot-washing stations, and an 890-square-foot training room that also serves as a community meeting space and a community storm shelter that meets ICC-500 requirements.    

Architect/Firm Name: Bounds & Gillespie Architects