A Model Fire Station

Seattle Fire Station 20

Seattle, WA

A Civic Presence

Fire Station 20 creates a civic presence in Seattle’s Interbay neighborhood and serves as a model of sustainable design. A series of parallel concrete and masonry walls retain the steep hillside, organize the site, incorporate bio-retention planters and provide lateral resistance. Steel-framed volumes extend over and between these bars, providing public views into core program areas.

Functional, Compact Design

Acoustically isolated bunks are located at the ground level to minimize travel distance and emergency response time. The living, dining and physical training spaces are located above to maximize access to daylight and views.

A Model of Sustainability

The design’s aggressive approach to energy conservation yields a 70 percent energy savings compared with a typical fire station. A 35-kilowatt rooftop photovoltaic array provides 27 percent of the station’s energy needs. The building achieved LEED Platinum certification with the highest score of any new building in the United States at the time.