Fire Station by Duffy (San Jose, California)

The City of San Jose Fire Department Station 34 design is based on fire fighter operations with careful attention to durability, sustainability and an architectural aesthetic that defines the building as a Civic facility while complimenting the industrial and high tech neighboring properties. Building massing, materials, orientation and engineered systems work together to balance the demanding programmatic necessities of fire station operations with LEEDTM certification requirements and neighborhood compatibility.
The goals and priorities of the program are outlined below along with the design solutions developed for Fire Station 34.

FUNCTIONAL - The room layout was designed primarily to achieve the most efficient circulation patterns for firefighter operations specifically minimizing the response time from any location to the fire apparatus during an emergency call.

DURABLE - The design utilizes simple massing and a limited palate of robust materials, including decorative concrete block walls, stained concrete floors, exterior and interior metal wall panels and aluminum storefront glazing, that are easy to maintain and will age gracefully over time.

SUSTAINABLE -Living spaces are located on the east and south faces to capture daylight during the winter months and shaded to keep out direct gain during the summer and late afternoon hours. Building materials, selected for durability, were also considered for their low embodied energy and high recycled content as well as their future recyclability. Operational windows and ceiling fans were provided in a living space s and bunk rooms to minimize the need for air conditioning.

NEIGHBORHOOD COMPATIBILITY - The station is located in a semi-industrial neighborhood between factory, warehouse and high tech office park uses. The composition of solid and transparent massing  is used to express the function of the spaces and the operation of the fire station.  The massing, material and colors were intended to compliment the neighboring buildings as well as subtly evoke the image of a fire engine archetype, specifically from the Northeast corner entry perspective.

 JIM DUFFY, NCARB, LEED AP

 J I M  D U F F Y  A R C H I T E C T U R E

www.jimduffyarch.com

805.540.8896