In Quarters: Thousand Oaks, CA, Fire Station No. 34

This facility received the Career 2 Silver award in the 2025 Firehouse Station Design Awards. Find the full list of winners here. 

The Ventura County Fire Department planned to build two new fire stations to improve emergency response times and accommodate future growth. The effort began with Station No. 34, which is the busiest firehouse in the department. The ground-up station includes seven single-occupancy dormitory rooms and three private bathrooms, to support current staffing needs and allow for future expansion, including a gender-integrated workforce.

Circulation paths that are within the facility were planned carefully to reduce response times. The double pull-through apparatus bay allows for efficient vehicle movement. A separate three-bay ancillary building that’s located on the premises stores reserve apparatus.

A detached exercise room, which is connected to the main building by a covered patio, has soft outdoor flooring that supports varied fitness routines. This was separated from the living quarters to minimize noise for resting firefighters. The Station Design Awards judges gave props to the design team’s approach here.

Decontamination spaces are fully isolated from the living quarters and are located on the opposite side of the apparatus bay. Two vestibules that have handwashing stations and a depressurized apparatus bay maintain airflow away from dorms and shared areas, to prevent contaminants from entering occupied spaces.

Durable, low-maintenance materials and high-efficiency mechanical systems that were employed will contribute to lower operating expenses over the life of the facility.

Common areas are filled with natural daylight to enhance comfort and to reduce energy use. The tactics to achieve this impressed the Station Design Awards judges very much. Traditional brick was selected by the design team for the exterior to reflect the character of the adjacent church, to create visual continuity within the neighborhood.

Additional site features include an emergency generator, a secure fuel dispenser, fencing, parking, a public drinking fountain and a bike repair station.

Architect: RRM Design Group