In Quarters: Cave Creek, AZ, Fire Station No. 1

This facility received the Renovations Notable award in the 2025 Firehouse Station Design Awards. Find the full list of winners here. 

Through a unique intergovernmental agreement between the town of Cave Creek and the Daisy Mountain Fire Department, the community of Cave Creek now has full-time emergency fire and medical protection within its town limits. What began as a 4,366-sq. ft. car wash, which was built in 1999 and converted into a makeshift community service facility in 2005, underwent a remarkable transformation into a modern, fully operational neighborhood fire station that honors the department’s past and its promise to serve. 

Cave Creek sits against the backdrop of the Tonto National Forest, where the town’s rural Western spirit is alive and well. The renovated fire station reflects this character—and the Station Design Awards judges agreed—while bringing life-saving infrastructure to the heart of the community. Designed to blend seamlessly with its surroundings, the station embodies the neighborhood’s aesthetics while delivering state-of-the-art functionality.

The adaptive reuse of the car wash was no small feat. One of the project’s biggest challenges was surgically removing the old tunnel equipment and all of the related utility rooms of the facility, while preserving the building’s structural envelope except for the front wall, which was rebuilt completely.

The reinvented facility features three modern drive-through apparatus bays, eight firefighter dormitories, offices, EMS support spaces, a fitness room, living quarters and a calming, daylight-filled public lobby that has a covered patio. Every aspect of the design was centered on firefighter wellness, promoting health through light, air, and materials that were selected to reduce stress and fatigue. The Station Design Awards judges agreed; one judge said, “The attention to firefighter safety is far batter than it was.”

Sustainability and resilience were equally critical. The station includes high-performance HVAC systems, LED lighting and low-maintenance finishes that are suited for Arizona’s desert climate. Onsite improvements include secure staff parking, visitor spaces and provisions for future fuel equipment.

Fire Station No. 1 stands not just as an essential service but as a symbol of transformation, collaboration and enduring community care.

Architect: Perlman Architects