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

The city of Fayetteville sought a station design that could be repeated easily yet has the flexibility to expand or contract based on the required company size and building sites that are available.

Additional requirements were that the station blend both traditional and modern aesthetics and achieve a minimum certification of LEED Silver. The final design requirement: occupant safety. Once all requirements and critical needs were established, the design team worked closely with department administration and a crew-led station design committee to develop a functional, flexible, long-lasting design to serve the department and surrounding community for many years to come.

Station #2 utilizes a modular design strategy, and one of the Station Design Awards judges applauded the design team for “great placement and use of space for a modular design.”

The station is centrally located in an old, heavily trafficked area of town. Replacing an outgrown, outdated station, it was determined early on that Station #2 would house one engine, one rescue, the department’s hazmat team and a county-owned USAR truck. The double-stacked apparatus bay features coiling doors that help to expedite turnout time and mitigate the risk of damage that could be caused by apparatus exiting.

A large mezzanine provides storage space for bulky equipment and supplies as well as direct access to the building’s mechanical systems. Tucked below the mezzanine are various high-contaminant areas, such as a workshop, a dirty toilet and a turnout room.

On the living side of the station, a front-facing shift office provides department crews with a clear line of sight for approaching visitors. Upon entering the vestibule, visitors are welcome to use the Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant restroom but are unable to go farther into the station unless they are escorted by department staff through an access controlled door.

Natural light is introduced into the kitchen and dayroom through a series of clerestory windows.

Impact-resistant, durable materials, such as high-density polyethylene millwork, heavy-duty hardware and polished concrete, are found in all highly trafficked areas.

With a 48/96 shift structure, the station design committee and department administration believed that it was important to provide on-duty crews with single-occupancy bedrooms and individual thermostat controls to promote a restful sleeping environment and privacy when needed. A 2:1 bedroom/bathroom ratio allows for quick shower times following fires and/or particularly nasty calls.

The communications room doubles as a “safe room,” to provide shelter during severe weather.

The captain’s office has ample storage/charging capacity.

A proponent of functional fitness, users wanted a workout area that was designed to house particular equipment, such as a wall-mounted rack system (which requires higher-than-average ceiling heights) and an overhead door that provides direct outdoor access for CrossFit-style training.

Classic, durable exterior materials, such as brick and precast, coupled with decorative metal fencing and an access-controlled gated entrance, underscore the department’s commitment to staff safety while blending with the surrounding urban fabric, an element of which the Station Design  Awards judges approved. Visitor parking was carefully placed to ensure that visitors don’t cross the front apron and have a clear, dedicated path to the main entrance. Tamper-resistant protection for the generator and other exterior mechanical/electrical/plumbing equipment are provided by a masonry enclosure that matches the building structure.

Architect: MBL Architecture