St. Joseph Fire Station No. 1

The City of St. Joseph, Mo., selected WSKF Architects to design a major renovation and expansion of one of its oldest working fire stations. When it opened in 1910, the station housed horse-drawn apparatus. In modernizing the station, WSKF designed space for two apparatus bays, expanded living quarters, a training and community room, a kitchen and fitness area. Generally, the renovated station space is utilized for training, fitness and support services while the new addition provides for the primary uses of apparatus bays/apparatus support and living quarters. Working with engineering partners, WSKF addressed project design challenges that included a constrained site, safe fire truck access, lines of sight and a floodplain that crosses the project site. Sustainable design elements include porous paving to control stormwater, a rain garden, drought-tolerant landscaping, low VOC coatings and Energy Star roofing materials.