Green Valley Fire Station No. 151 Exceeds Sustainable Goals

Date: April 8, 2010

WSM Architects announces the grand opening of Fire Station No.151, Green Valley's first LEED Silver certified* building. The 12,500 SF station, sited on 5.35 acres, contains four apparatus bays, 12 dorm rooms, offices, 45 turnout gear lockers, a day room, and a kitchen / dining area.

The new station is a replacement of the existing, aged station. The new No.151 facility is designed to accommodate GVFD's new ladder truck and to comply with NFPA's current standards. The station also provides dedicated space for fitness equipment and an office suite for the Battalion Commander.

Defining sustainable attributes at Fire Station No. 151 are: optimized building energy performance, efficient use of water, daylighting, recycled materials, and locally sourced materials.

"The objective was to have a functional fire station that exceeded Green Valley Fire District's goals," states Paul Mickelberg, principal of WSM Architects, Tucson, AZ. "Fire Station No.151 is a highperforming building with integral sustainable and efficient building systems."

Since the building has a low occupancy relative to the amount of perimeter wall, the mechanical HVAC loads are driven by outside weather conditions. To diminish temperature swings, the walls are constructed with aerated concrete block, a lightweight masonry, which provides thermal mass and high thermal resistance in one product. Additionally, the roof has R-38 insulation, which helped the project reach an overall energy savings of 35% above the building code minimum.

Typically, fire stations generate large amounts of exhaust air. To recapture the energy normally wasted by venting the exhaust air to the outside, an energy recovery unit on the roof transfers excess energy to the outside air pulled into the building by the mechanical system.

Large windows with clear, low-e glass and thermally-efficient skylights flood the building with natural light in almost every space without letting in heat. Clerestory windows provide ample daylight in the apparatus bays which require constant light for firefighter safety as they respond to emergencies. Because this project is naturally lit in over 75% of regularly occupied spaces, arrays of daylight sensors were specified to save electricity during the day.

Programmatic requirements for unisex restrooms eliminated the possibility of waterless urinals, but dual flush toilets were used throughout the project. The showers and faucets are fitted with flow-restrictors to further reduce water consumption. A combination of these elements results in a building that uses 45% less water than allowed by code.

The project also used a drip irrigation system to reduce water waste through evaporation. All of the plantings are either native to the Sonoran desert, or adapted to the climate. Instead of irrigated plantings, the areas adjacent to the natural desert that were disturbed by construction are seeded with a mixture of native plant seeds to encourage a return to natural desert. These strategies combined yields more than 80% savings on potable water use for irrigation.

More than 25% of construction materials were extracted and manufactured locally. Over 25% of construction materials used in the building is from recycled sources. Concrete, reinforcing bars, masonry, and structural steel were the major sources.

The solar hot water array (with an extremely efficient gas-fired backup for cloudy days) results in significant energy savings and provides enough water for normal daily use, which includes two showers for each firefighter/ paramedic. This system is typically able to achieve a 7 year payback period, saving enough cost in utilities to cover the initial cost of the installation.

The south facing portion of the sloped standing seam metal roof over the apparatus bays has been designed to accommodate future photovoltaic panels, which will further decrease the facility’s nonrenewable energy use.

These systems are just a sampling of "green" approaches or technologies used throughout the fire station. Highlighting these promotes and supports how everyday buildings can be unique and sustainable for the Green Valley Fire District (GVFD) and southern Arizona.

GVFD made it a goal to build sustainable fire stations. It is commendable that the GVFD had the foresight to establish sustainable goals and include LEED certification as a part of their strategic plan. In the fall of 2007, Fire Chief Simon Davis and the Board of Directors allocated the funding for two new fire stations.

Another new Fire Station, No.155 is scheduled to open in August of 2010. Fire Station No.155 will also be LEED certified.

Established in 1975, the Green Valley Fire District provides a wide variety of protection and emergency services to a suburban and rural area of more than 40,000 constituents. Originally serving a primarily senior population, the GVFD's 40 square mile area now encompasses a more diverse population that includes young professionals and families, within Green Valley as well as portions of the Town of Sahuarita.

Green Valley, 20 miles south of Tucson and 40 miles north of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, is an unincorporated community. It is nestled at the base of the Santa Rita Mountain Range in southern Arizona's Santa Cruz Valley at a high desert elevation of 2,900 feet.

*Pending Certification: LEED Design and Construction submittal complete and issued to USGBC.