Projecting local pride in public service: Fire Station No. 1.

Civic

The two-story Fire Station No. 1 is a prominent presence on its urban block. Contemporary architecture reflects the modern fire company housed within; highly trained professionals who provide 24/7/365 fire safety and emergency medical services.

Taking inspiration from the surrounding neighborhood of warehouses and small residential structures, the architecture makes effective use of industrial materials. Clad in bright metal panels, the expression is new and familiar at the same time – at home in a local context.

Fire Station Number 1 houses two divisions of the San Antonio Fire Department, accommodating a complex set of spaces and uses. Included in this station are 5 apparatus bays, four of which house fire apparatus trucks, and one bay dedicated to the EMS. Interior spaces have office/administrative space, as well as back of house living areas such as a kitchen and a day room. The main living quarters and fitness room are located on the second level.

SAPD Operations Command Headquarters is attached to the south of the fire apparatus bays, in an addition to the fire station. This 6,283 square foot building holds administrative offices, sleeping quarters, a training room, and two vehicle bays.

The exterior facade is composed of a pre-finished metal panel system, with a decorative brick wainscot located at the base of all major street facing elevations. This materials palette is built from the surrounding neighborhood of warehouses and small residential structures. A gabled pre-finished metal roof is used to finish out the enclosure of the building. The massing of the building emphasizes each separate component of the building, visually creating a scale more appropriate for its neighbors across the street.