Career 2 Notable Award
The city of Leander wanted to design a new fire station in the Travisso residential development,which donated the site to the city. The new fire station, which is located in the Hill Country of Texas, was required to meet the housing development’s strict exterior design requirements while meeting the needs of the fire department.
The project was awarded to Komatsu Architecture based on the city’s positive experience working with the firm on Fire Station No. 1, which was completed in 2018.
The fire department needed a station that has two bays, eight private dormitory rooms, workout space, one officer office/dorm suite, a living area and a remote office for use by the police department. The layout also had to take advantage of the site, to provide views and access to the local landscape.
The exterior was designed to respect the Travisso architectural design of the residential area and required approval from the development board. Owner funding required three design options to determine which program would meet final budget.
The Leander Fire Department was one of the first to employ a sophisticated alerting system that integrates with the gas lines and bay door controls. The system shuts off flow to the gas lines in the kitchen and patio. The bay exhaust system kicks on when an alert is received and when the doors are opened.
This was the first fire station in Leander that was required to meet ICC 500 shelter requirements. These are independent structures that are within the station that are resistant to natural disasters and can withstand destructive winds of as fast as 250 mph. A shower room meets all FEMA requirements. The station’s design supports rapid emergency response times by wrapping the dorms around the shower rooms to provide three paths to access the bay.
