<< previous	next >>
Please scroll below for project description.

The Bünde Fire Station provides facilities for professional and volunteer fire brigades as well as ambulance paramedics. Vehicle halls for each department are defined by three building wings which unite in a spiraling form, symbolic of cooperation and unity. The building fits tightly on an ‘L’-shaped site with emergency vehicle access to the major street Dünnerstrasse. Staff and visitor parking is accessible from the smaller street Virchowstrasse. The fire station size mediates between the existing urban scales of a small kindergarten to the north and a large factory/showroom to the south. The large operable glass doors of the emergency vehicle halls have two functions: maximum visibility for safe egress and interesting views for passersby which increases the public awareness of this civil service.

The ground level provides state-of-the-art emergency facilities and the related supported spaces. A total of five ambulance and seven fire truck positions make this one of the largest facilities of its type in the region. Supporting these vehicles are storage and repair shops for oxygen tanks, batteries, vehicle maintenance, and emergency supplies. Also on this level are the commander’s office and sleeping room, volunteer recreation room, and kitchen. On the second level are six sleeping rooms, cafeteria, recreation room, and restrooms for the professional staff. Offices, training/seminar rooms, archive/copy rooms, and the command observation room are on level three. Additional space in the basement for storage and mechanical/electrical systems brings the total building area to 3,265 gross square meters (35,145 square feet).

Building forms overlap to create balconies, courtyards, patios, overhangs and interesting three dimensional spaces. The strategic placement of clear glass allows these forms to create visual continuity between the interior and the exterior. Exterior windows and a central atrium permit an abundant supply of natural light. South facing roofs provide adequate surface area for a warm air pre-heat component of the heating system as well as solar hot water collectors. The building’s appearance implies movement and action; it is a fitting icon for the dynamic emergency personnel occupants.