Architecture Awards 2023 BUILD 29 Best Design: Orange County Fire Rescue Training Center, Florida The bold design of the Orange County Fire Rescue Training Center honours the fighter, not the fire. Working closely with stakeholders and multiple Fire Rescue Chiefs to bring this design to reality, KMF Architects has delivered yet another impressive and award-winning project to its community. As a reflection of the trainees within, the design unifies the Orange County Fire Rescue Department’s (OCFRD) values in training, rescue, and community by bringing their mission to the forefront. There are many symbols that may come to mind when thinking of our fire fighters, such as the truck, a flame or a ladder. The symbolic ladder, above all, represents the spectrum of responsibilities taken on by the firefighter. Architect & Project Designer at KMF Architects, Samantha Scime’ explains, “When visualizing the ladder, it is used in three distinct ways. It is used in rescue; the ladder, in conjunction with the fire fighter, becomes a connection between danger and safety. It is used in training; the ladder aids a trainee in achieving their goal of becoming a fire fighter. Finally, it is used to connect with our community; the fire fighter uses the ladder to celebrate with our Central Florida community, like the annual Santa visit at the Children’s hospital.” The 30,000 SF Education Building at the Training Center serves a variety of functions. The strong, repetitive, and slanted language of the structure highlights the training spaces within the building. These training spaces include a fitness center, locker rooms, classrooms (four of which can expand into one large event space), and a prototype fire station. At the center, between the training programs, an opposing volume becomes the prominent feature of the elevation. It symbolizes the bonds created among colleagues during training and is a decompression space for trainees. Through the Lounge windows, trainees can see apparatus’ drive by as they study, bridging that connection to their purpose. This central great room opens to the north and allows for soft daylight to enter via a clerestory that runs from the lobby to the lounge. The angle of the building’s form naturally shades to the south and allows for a large, shaded covering for exterior fitness tests. Adjacent to the lobby is the administration wing, where louvers are cleverly placed along the vertical windows to protect from east and west sun, while allowing ample daylight into these spaces. The existing 40-acre site came with many challenges, including 8 acres of wetlands that surround the site on 3 sides. Through careful coordination with civil, environmental, and real estate teams, KMF was able to compact the site and create direct circulation paths, resulting in only 0.08 acres requiring mitigation and saving 17 acres of natural landscape! Furthermore, a 25’ utility easement runs through the center of the site, which will expand to 60’ post-construction. This easement is outside OCFRD’s control and includes three major underground utilities. To avoid major demolition on the site in the future, KMF thoughtfully planned ahead for this expansion by strategically designing for the larger 60’ easement now. Clever placement of site features and circulation patterns will prevent the easement from becoming a noticeable feature on the site, while also minimizing future disruption to the site. The 30,000 SF main building is only one of many components to this project. To the south, approximately 12 acres are dedicated to training “props” which includes, multiple training pavilions, two-six story drill towers, and burn building, vehicle fires, and many more, not to mention a custom structural collapse building, a CPAT testing building, and confined underground trench all designed by KMF. Intentional and strategic planning was considered at every step to provide deep meaning to the client. The concept, building form, material texture, program adjacencies, preservation of natural landscape, and mindfulness of the surrounding community makes this project a success. The connection to the values of OCFRD and the implementation to building form will curate a sense of pride and clear meaning to all that train here. Contact: Eric Kleinsteuber, AIA and Samantha Scime’, AIA Company: KMF Architects Web Address: www.KMFArchitects.com
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