Iconic Fire Station Design for a Growing Community

Following the success of stations 36 and 55, the Hobin Architecture/Morley Hoppner design-build team was retained by the City of Ottawa for this new 3-bay station to serve the growing suburban community of Kanata North.

The project acts as a point of reference and orientation in the community. The creative use of modest materials and simple building forms was required to elevate the functional building and evoke a sense of pride in staff and visitors. Careful consideration for vehicle and pedestrian movement, site amenities and landscape were critical to the success of this project.

The station provides a drive-through configuration, allowing trucks to enter at the rear and exit toward the street. The site plan includes two access points, one for the fire truck exit and the other for access to the parking and loading spaces. This layout eliminates congestion points and ensures efficient operations during fire calls.

The station’s design maximizes the functionality of all the program spaces through adjacencies and articulation to enhance the private, shared and specialized spaces. The layout and interior design both respond to the needs of a user group who occupy and reside on-site for extended periods of time. The new building includes an apparatus bay for trucks, platoon rooms, fitness area, bunker gear room and watch room.

The floor plan provides a compact footprint, while the bold building form and carefully selected exterior material palette create articulation and a strong aesthetic. The project site is well-suited to connect private spaces to an exterior experience. The rural farmland that surrounds the site is scenic and is celebrated through views and connections.

The fire station is designed to post-disaster standards and will be fiscally responsible in both its capital and operations throughout the building’s life cycle. LEED Silver certification under the v4 standard was achieved shortly after the building came into operation. Key building features contributing to this certification include optimized energy performance, enhanced indoor environmental quality, reduced water consumption and design innovation. ◼