Chelmsford North Fire Station #2 – Renovation and Expansion

Award Criteria

Architectural Excellence

Steel and concrete modular living quarters addition was designed to sleep 6 firefighters at any given time. This station rotates through 3 shifts each, with 4 firefighters per shift, so future expansion was considered. To create the addition to the existing fire station we used 12 modules, stacked 6 over 6. The modules are 30' x 11' 6" each. This addition also incorporates personal locker and changing rooms, 3 bathrooms with showers, full kitchen, complete gym, maintenance repair shop, gear storage, laundry and changing rooms, administrative space, and an eating area/lounge. Designed to attach seamlessly to the existing apparatus bay brick façade. The existing apparatus bay received a full facelift, including the addition of another overhead door to allow for more trucks and added efficiencies. We also swapped out the mechanicals and updated the mechanical heating with gas-fired heaters, created additional electrical fixtures, and added energy-efficient windows.

Technical Innovation & Sustainability

An exterior brick veneer system was installed at the factory with a soldier course at first and second mate lines tied the modular units and existing apparatus bay together for a seamless, integrated appearance. This also resulted in faster completion once the modules were installed, as significant exterior finishing work at the site was avoided. Another unique innovation involved the Gear Locker Room for the fire station. Firefighters need to service and clean their gear, but any potential contaminants need to be contained to this specific room. The Gear Locker Room can only be accessed from the Apparatus Bay. Firefighters cannot access the Gear Locker Room from the living quarters for their protection. The Gear Locker Room is independently heated and ventilated.

Cost Effectiveness

The sequencing and delivery of the modular units were coordinated so they each could be craned into place once delivered. All 12 boxes were set in one day, which helped with the cost-effectiveness of the project. The expectations of the customer were met. We were able to complete the project with an accelerated schedule and met the budget. All change orders were customer-driven and mutually agreed upon, based on the additional budget that the client received from the town. We had also worked with the Town of Chelmsford on earlier projects, so their familiarity with the cadence of our processes also helped with efficiency and cost-effectiveness. A substantial percentage of the finish work was done at the factory to help reduce costs.