This facility was a concept nearly two decades in the making. A spatial needs assessment conducted by ADG showed the police and fire services had outgrown their existing facilities. To provide adequate facilities, ADG designed a two-story facility housing the city’s police department, fire administration, and a five-bay fire station. Both departments were designed as separate facilities connected by a shared two-story atrium, which included vertical circulation, lobby / reception, a historic apparatus display, and community meeting room that overlooks the civic plaza.
The facility included a crime lab as part of the investigative services / crime scene department. Several aspects of the facility supported the crime lab, including: a central evidence drop-off / processing area; biohazard evidence storage and blood drying rooms; crime lab with fuming hoods, latent print analysis, forensic-science support, and forensic facial imaging.
The facility also houses the City’s Fire Department Administration and five bay Fire Station No. 31. The station includes a watch office, crew quarters, SCBA room, bunker gear storage, decontamination, EMS supply, fire training rooms, fire training tower, a historic fire apparatus display, and community meeting room that overlook the Civic Plaza. The main training room also serves as the city’s EOC.
Exterior walls were constructed in concrete tilt wall with hurricane impact glazing throughout, designed to withstand 150 mph hurricane-force winds and was designed with 100% backup to all mechanical and electrical systems. A civic plaza was situated at the prominent corner of the site and contains seating areas that have open views of the historic apparatus display and community meeting room, creating a true civic space for the community. In addition to design services, ADG wrote the HMGP grant application for the City of Sanford which produced $1,001,305 in grant funding.
This project received the AIA Orlando, Un-Built Design Award and Award of Merit in 2009 for the American Institute of Architects, Orlando Chapter.
