"ON-THE-BOARDS" BRONZE RECOGNITION AWARD FOR FIRE STATION DESIGN EXCELLENCE
Presented to Mitchell Associates Architects
& the Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Company
at the 2014 F.I.E.R.O. Fire Station Design Symposium
The Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Company sits just outside Valley Forge National Park in Pennsylvania. As first responders to the Park, they take great pride in protecting the rich history of Valley Forge and the surrounding historic communities. Founded in 1949, the all-volunteer company has 75 members and responds to almost 400 calls a year.
The design goals called for a new building that would be firematically correct and built of materials that would be low maintenance and durable. Another central goal of the members was to have a building that would reflect the existing vernacular in this nationally recognized historic area and appear as if "it has always been here." The steeply sloping site required a design where half of the first floor would be fully embedded in the hillside, with the rear wall of the apparatus bay serving as a 16 ft. tall retaining wall.
As part of the design process, we studied historic structures located in the surrounding community in order to gain an understanding of the materials and massing that were representative of the area's history. Ultimately the design was mostly informed by a few buildings including the Kimberton Post Office and the Phoenixville Forge. The character of these buildings has been blended into the design so that the Company can fulfill its mission in a facility that reflects history and can stand the test of time.
Click here to go to our website and see a PowerPoint with details about the Valley Forge design.
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Phoenixville Forge
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Kimberton Post Office
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- Township of Batavia Fire Department, located in western New York
- Starting programming for a new station
- Beekman Fire District Training Facility, located in the Hudson River Valley
- Schematic design is complete; waiting for the estimate
- Chatham Fire Rescue Department, located in eastern Massachusetts
- Construction documents are underway. We are teamed with Kaestle Boos Associates - the Architect of Record. Ask us how we can work with your architect.
- Midway Fire Department, located in east central New York
- Completing programming and schematic design and preparing for public education and bond referendum
- Selkirk Dire District, located in east central New York
- Starting feasibility study to look at existing facilities and possible consolidation
You might be asking, what is Programming?
Programming kicks off the design process through carefully planned conversations between Mitchell Associates and your representatives. Programming thoroughly reviews current conditions and needs. It results in a written description of the proposed facility that includes room diagrams, a spreadsheet showing building areas, and a preliminary construction budget. A well done program will significantly increase the quality of your design and minimize the chance of saying, "I wish we had thought of that."
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Trade Show Schedule 2014
Visit us in Harrisburg at the
Lancaster County Firemen's Association
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