In Quarters: Grand Coulee, WA, Dam Fire Station

This facility received the Career 1 Gold award in the 2025 Firehouse Station Design Awards. Find the full list of winners here. 

The design team partnered with the Bureau of Reclamation in 2013 to assess the feasibility of constructing a new headquarters and security station at the Grand Coulee Dam, which is a secure national infrastructure asset. The study included programming, conceptual design, a roadmap development between Federal Guiding Principles under the Green Building Certification program for sustainable buildings and LEED for Silver certification, and cost estimates for multiple sites.

Following site selection and funding, a two-story facility that’s engineered to support advanced confidential technology to meet the critical demands of this unique high risk site was developed. Separation of public and private areas is as good as that of any of the stations that the Station Design Awards judges assessed.

Program elements include responder living and gathering areas with access to two patios, apparatus bays that have adjacent support areas, security offices, a reception area and an internal training room. Heated aprons have integrated weather sensors. LED strip floor lighting  that’s in the bay reduces night blindness.

The overall design incorporates a suite of high-performance and carefully integrated design strategies. A mix of weathering steel wall panels, concrete and concrete masonry units provides durability and visual contrast, an effect that greatly impressed the Station Design Awards judges for its contribution to the seamless nature by which the station integrates with its surroundings. Further, electrochromic exterior glazing reduces solar heat gain in the desert climate. Smart switch glass allows for adaptable opaque privacy, and electric vehicle charging supports sustainable mandates.

Two fire poles, coupled with side-acting apparatus bay doors, enhance turnout times. A flexible training/meeting room expands into the lobby as a means to increase area. Terrazzo flooring is consistent with the historical material that’s found in the dam. Illuminated stair treads combine durability with safety.

The kitchen and dining areas are oriented to capture panoramic views of the Columbia River, to reinforce a strong connection to the surrounding landscape. 

Strategically located at the west gate of the Grand Coulee Power Office Industrial Area, the new facility provides vital protection of the reclamation facilities and lands.

Architect: TCA Architecture + Planning + Design