PCI-Supported Graduate Architecture Studio Reimagines Denver Fire Stations as Mixed-Use Civic Infrastructure
Over the last 10 years, Assistant Professor Matt Shea has taught graduate architecture studio six supported by PCI Mountain States, a chapter of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute. This year, the studio teamed up with the City and County of Denver to develop proof-of-concept proposals for integrated mixed-use fire stations in downtown Denver. At the end of the semester, representatives from PCI, the Denver Mayor’s Office, and the Denver Fire Department attended final studio presentations and offered feedback. Impressed by the designs, city officials plan to reference the students’ work in future requests for proposals.
The PCI Mountain States Studio
The two sites for the studio assignment were Denver Fire Stations 6 and 9. “One of the things I did to structure the studio to get the broadest spectrum of projects on two dramatically different sites, Station 6 and Station 9, but they had the same zoning code,” said Shea. “On each site, there were three teams, three pairs, and each pair was given a different constraint.”
Throughout the semester, PCI Mountain States representatives consulted students on their work. “PCI had a major influence in understanding the structural implications of how this complicated program mix of fire station, multi-family residential, and commercial retail come together,” said master of architecture (M.Arch) student Mitch Widule. “In addition, using precast concrete as the primary facade “skin” was a fun and creative design problem in itself. We were very cognizant of the efficiencies of precast formwork and in response were able to fully panelize our building proposal using only 6 different shapes of concrete forms.”
“This studio,” Widule continued, “allowed us to push the boundaries of how precast concrete is typically used by designing a compelling structural system and facade articulation while still maintaining all of the construction efficiency benefits that precast offers.”
Project Constraints
Not only were students proposing design solutions for the fire stations, but they were also exploring ways to expand the use of the buildings to include commercial and residential additions, converting the stations into mixed-use buildings.
“One of the most challenging aspects of the project was resolving the complexity of the program itself,” said Sidney Renelt, M.Arch student. “We were specifically tasked with emphasizing mixed-use spaces while also integrating the very specific operational needs of a fire station alongside residential apartments. Balancing these different functions (public, private, civic, and residential ) required us to think carefully about how people with very different daily experiences could coexist within one cohesive system. There was a constant negotiation between efficiency, livability, and community presence.”
“Another challenge was developing the precast structural system in a way that was both conceptually meaningful and technically feasible,” Renelt continued. “As the semester progressed, we gained a much deeper understanding of how precast systems actually come together, not only structurally, but logistically and materially. Working through those constraints was difficult at times, but ultimately incredibly rewarding because it pushed the project beyond speculation.”
Another team chose to include a hotel in the infrastructure. “There were many challenges of designing a mixed-use building that also housed a firehouse though this was part of what made this studio so unique,” said M.Arch student Angela Holden. “My partner Sawyer and I chose the site which seemed to have more constraints deliberately for the challenge. Our approach was based on reciprocity and service, specifically embracing the history and existing site context, providing a hotel as infrastructure which will be required in the future as development in the area increases.”
Site Challenges
Fire stations on their own often include parking for the fire apparatus and emergency equipment, living quarters, administrative and training areas, and spaces for equipment cleaning, maintenance, and storage. Adding retail, commercial, and residential spaces will expand the building’s footprint on the site.
“For our design proposal, Mitch and I were assigned Fire Station 9 located in RiNo,” said M.Arch student Kara Hand. “We were intrigued by its long narrow site and how we could incorporate the highly desirable pull-through apparatus bays while also considering the unique buffer and program requirements of a fire station. This included separation of hot and cold zones within the fire station to protect against contaminant exposure, maintaining separate circulation all the while designing such that firefighters could maintain appropriate response times when responding to emergencies. As the “civic host,” we designed our proposal such that the fire station was nested within the residential and retail space and extruded from its central position in order to create a visual and functional statement within the city.”
Working with City and Fire Department Officials
Throughout the semester, students met with professionals from the precast industry, visited the precast plant, toured fire houses, and presented their designs and findings to personnel from the Denver Mayor’s Office, the Denver Fire Department, and PCI Mountain States.
“A lot of the reason I got into architecture is about the people and getting to make a space that helps the people using the space,” said M.Arch student Meghan Sloan. “So getting to go to the fire house and talk with the fire fighters helped make the project feel more personal. It was great to hear how many things that architecture could help with to make them feel more comfortable and [their work] more efficient.”
“The opportunity to work with the City and local fire houses for Studio 6 was such a privilege. To interact with these professionals was a highlight for me in my last studio and I learned a great deal about fire houses in particular for the design process, that I was unaware of,” said Holden. “Hearing first-hand what challenges the fire officers have, and therefore, require in their working and living spaces was invaluable information. Learning about the investment process and building requirements was also interesting as was learning about precast cement through our structural engineer Jason Lien [Executive Vice President of EnCon United and the studio’s primary producer] and his desk crits and our site visit to Wells.”
This studio was not only an invaluable learning experience for CAP students, but it was also beneficial to the City and County of Denver and the Denver Fire Department. Following the students’ final presentations, the City plans to continue to use the work from the studio as they continue to explore the architectural challenges and possibilities of realizing a building-integrated firehouse, turning the student design solutions into real-world representations of the future of Denver fire station design.
In response to a request for feedback following the completion of the studio, Chris Nevitt from Mayor Mike Johnston’s Chief Projects Office said, “The quality and detail of the students’ work was astounding. In addition to showcasing considerable architectural creativity, the student work also dug deeply into the structural issues of such complicated dual-use programs; into the access and operational peculiarities of fire house apparatus and personnel activities; into exploring opportunities for integration while respecting the necessities for separation between the fire house and other uses. And working within these constraints, the separate student teams produced a remarkably rich diversity of programs, from residential, to mixed-use commercial, to hotel uses. Of particularly notable value and appreciation for City staff was the work the students put into visiting active fire houses and listening and learning closely from the fire fighters themselves. That effort was clearly reflected in the work the studio produced.”