Brighton Fire Department Fire Station No. 1

New facilities were developed to house the Brighton Fire District Headquarters and Training Facilities on an expanded site of the original District office and Fire Station No. 1. SWBR worked closely with Brighton’s Fire District through programming, environmental review, and bonding. The site for Brighton Fire District’s House No. 1 required not only updated truck bays, but also a piece of civic architecture that adds to the quality of the neighborhood. The Fire Station’s mass was diminished by dividing the building into three basic structures: truck bays, firehouse, and offices. Each of these elements is further divided and articulated according to its function. The result was three elements with unique personalities, which addressed the three major roadways surrounding the site: I-490, Linden Road, and East Avenue. The design was unified by a brick plinth which wrapped the building and anchored the structure to its site. Arches wrap the building as well, although formally consistent, their functions vary. At the truck bays the arches frame the truck doors, and on the firehouse the arches suggest in-filled bays on a preexisting firehouse.