In Southern California’s Rancho Mission Viejo (RMV), Fire Station 67 has been designed and constructed as a prefab, modular build—enabling faster completion and future reconfiguration.
Designed by Seattle-based Wittman Estes, the 4,667-sf station was prefabricated offsite as 10 modules that were then assembled onsite. The offsite fabrication and rapid assembly led to a streamlined design, documentation, and permitting process. This approach allowed for parallel site development work in California and factory construction in Nevada, resulting in a construction timeline of six months.
Fire Station 67: Modular System
The modular system also allows for relocation and reconfiguration. The sturdy, durable steel modules can be easily transported and rearranged for possible future uses, such as an environmental learning center for RMV.
Fire Station 67 includes a vehicle bay for two fire trucks, six sleeping rooms, a day room, kitchen/dining room, dispatch/workspace, and a captain’s office. The 12-foot modules were assembled around a shaded, semi-protected central courtyard.
Construction Strategy
The building configuration enables the firefighters to serve the public quickly while also feeling calm and privacy. The north-facing public entry, captain’s office, and dispatch room face the neighborhood. The more active areas, including break room, kitchen, and fitness rooms, face east toward the firetrucks. And the sleeping rooms and bathrooms are located in a quiet zone in the west. The firetruck bay is painted bright red, while the interior spaces have a neutral, tranquil palette.
In response to climate change and the rising risk of wildfires, the prefab structure is clad in fireproof, corrugated steel siding. To improve indoor air quality, Wittman Estes designed an open-air apparatus bay to bring in fresh outside air and eliminate the need for large exhaust machines.
On the Building Team:
Clients: Orange County Fire Authority and Rancho Mission Viejo
Architect: Wittman Estes
Interior designer: Birsel+Seck
Structural engineer: DCI Engineers
Landscape architect: Land Concern
Civil engineer: Fuscoe Engineering
GC: Xtreme Cubes
Related Stories
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction market benefits from improving economy, new technology [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Following years of fairly lackluster demand for commercial property remodeling, reconstruction revenue is improving, according to the 2014 Giants 300 report.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Construction Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Structure Tone, Turner, and Gilbane top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction contractor and construction management firms in the U.S.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Engineering Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Jacobs, URS, and Wiss, Janney, Elstner top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Architecture Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Stantec, HDR, and HOK top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 23, 2014
Architecture Billings Index up nearly a point in June
AIA reported the June ABI score was 53.5, up from a mark of 52.6 in May.
| Jul 21, 2014
16 utility questions to answer during your building project
We need electricity to power our building projects, along with water and gas and a faultless sanitation system. That’s what we think about when we think about utility requirements for our building project, but are we missing something? SPONSORED CONTENT
| Jul 21, 2014
Economists ponder uneven recovery, weigh benefits of big infrastructure [2014 Giants 300 Report]
According to expert forecasters, multifamily projects, the Panama Canal expansion, and the petroleum industry’s “shale gale” could be saving graces for commercial AEC firms seeking growth opportunities in an economy that’s provided its share of recent disappointments.
| Jul 18, 2014
Contractors warm up to new technologies, invent new management schemes [2014 Giants 300 Report]
“UAV.” “LATISTA.” “CMST.” If BD+C Giants 300 contractors have anything to say about it, these new terms may someday be as well known as “BIM” or “LEED.” Here’s a sampling of what Giant GCs and CMs are doing by way of technological and managerial innovation.
| Jul 18, 2014
Top Construction Management Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Jacobs, Barton Malow, Hill International top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest construction management and project management firms in the United States.
| Jul 18, 2014
Top Contractors [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Turner, Whiting-Turner, Skanska top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest contractors in the United States.
