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Clackamas Fire District firefighters based at Station No. 16 will soon have a new, safe home. Hennebery Eddy Architects is concluding design of a new structure to replace one plagued by building envelope issues.

鈥淭he old station was built in the 1970s,鈥� said Jon McGrew, an associate principal with Hennebery Eddy Architects. 鈥淢oisture and mold is a big concern for (firefighters there).鈥�

It is such a concern that the current station’s living quarters have been sealed since May 2016 to protect firefighters’ health.

鈥淭hey said it wasn’t safe,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey moved into a mobile home on the site where the firefighters have been living. They had to get a special land use dispensation from the city.鈥�

The project team’s plan is to obtain construction documents in July, begin construction in the fall and produce a new facility by spring 2018. The $5 million, 12,000-square-foot structure will house twice as many firefighters as the existing facility, and be able to accommodate training.

Architects had three overriding objectives. The first was to increase efficiency. The layout will include direct access to apparatus to help accelerate response times. Also, metal siding and a carefully configured landscape will reduce maintenance needs.

鈥淭he firefighters maintain the property,鈥� McGrew said. 鈥淟ooking at the existing stations, they are built like giant houses, so they need to be painted. This one won’t. We don’t have any lawn to be mowed. The landscape is envisioned on native plants.鈥�

Flexibility also is important for the facility. Each sleeping unit will have its own bathroom, which provides a significant advantage.

鈥淗ow do you figure out how many women’s lockers and women’s showers you need?鈥� McGrew said. 鈥淲e got rid of locker rooms and moved those into each bunk room. It doesn’t matter who or what you are. You do everything in your own sleeping quarters. We actually saved square footage by doing that.鈥�

Solar panels and stormwater removal systems will qualify the project for Energy Trust of Oregon’s Path to Net Zero program. The design and technology used in this fire station is a departure from many previous projects Hennebery Eddy Architects has worked on.

鈥淚t’s interesting to contrast the rural approach,鈥� principal Michelle Vo said. 鈥淭hey have similar organizations for efficiency, but much different approach in terms of massing and materials of the stations.鈥�

On the Boards is a 91视频 feature offering a look at the projects in Oregon being tackled by local architecture firms. To have your firm’s projects considered, contact 91视频 architecture and engineering reporter Kent Hohlfeld at 503-802-7224 or [email protected].