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11.16.2021

CSArch Receives Design Award for North West Fire Station

CSArch proudly accepted a Silver Design Award in the station renovation category of the 2021 Firehouse Station Design Awards. Organized by Firehouse Magazine, the 8th annual awards program recognizes firms across the United States and Canada for outstanding architecture and design of emergency response facilities.

Selected by a panel of fire chiefs and design professionals, CSArch was among 18 recipients across seven categories of fire station design. The judges noted that they were especially impressed by the exterior transformation of a neglected strip mall building into an expanded fire station, as well as the unique design of the day room, kitchen, and radio room with direct views into the apparatus bay and overhead doors.

“On behalf of the design team and the Board of Commissioners, I am honored to have received this award,” said Elizabeth Brutsch, Project Manager and Architect at CSArch. “The North West Fire District Station 3 project presented significant challenges, from spatial limitations and budgetary constraints, to the difficulty of completing construction during the height of the pandemic. I am proud to have been part of such a dedicated group of professionals who worked tirelessly to make it a success. It is immensely rewarding to see how well the new station is meeting the needs of the department.”

    The North West Fire District’s Station 3 previously operated out of a dilapidated 1940s Department of Public Works building, which lacked adequate space and functionality and significantly impaired its members’ ability to safety perform critical duties, train new recruits, and store and maintain equipment. Following a multi-year feasibility study beginning in 2015 to identify and analyze potential sites for a new fire station, the North West Fire District opted to purchase an existing building in a strip mall located just outside the center of town.

    The design of the new station reorganized and gut renovated every inch of the existing footprint to improve functionality, enhance recruitment efforts, and provide essential firematic support. Completed in December 2020, the new station is a technologically advanced facility that incorporates approximately 13,400 square feet of critical firematic support, office space, meeting and training rooms, and leisure areas to attract and retain top quality firefighters, become a beacon for the local community, and provide an inspiring facility for its members. For more information on the North West Fire District Station 3 renovation, head to CSArch’s project page at www.csarchpc.com/projects/north-west-fire-district.

    Click here to learn more about the winning firms.

    The project team included:

    • Thomas Ritzenthaler, Principal-in-Charge, CSArch
    • Elizabeth Brutsch, Project Manager/Architect, CSArch
    • Musa Kanneh, Building Designer, CSArch
    • Ed Anker, Project Manager, former CSArch
    • Kristen Krug, Interior Designer, former CSArch
    • Jeff Budrow, Site/Civil Lead Engineer, Weston & Sampson, Consultant
    • Tom Manzo, MEP & FP Lead Engineer, IPD Engineering, Consultant