Portsmouth Fire Station

The Portsmouth Fire Station 2 project began as a study to evaluate renovating the existing station versus constructing a new facility on the same site. Following this analysis, a nearby location was identified that better met the city’s needs. The final design integrates best practices in fire safety, training, operational flexibility, and sustainable design. Notably, the station is the first LEED-certified fire station in New Hampshire.

Thoughtful site planning on the prominent corner lot plays a key role in both sustainability and public safety. The design incorporates generous green space, highlights a firefighter memorial, achieves 100% stormwater reclamation, and features carefully organized access and egress with traffic control measures to ensure safe intersection management when emergency vehicles are deployed.

Designed with flexibility and resiliency in mind, the gender-neutral station incorporates low maintenance recycled materials with performance features like energy controls, high efficiency systems, premium daylighting/views, and a modular, publicly accessible training room that can quickly be converted into a cutting-edge EOC. The building’s layout optimized functionality, and comfortably to accommodate 100% staff growth with no reconfiguration. The 3 radiant-heated, drive-thru apparatus bays are visible from 2nd floor common areas and connect to a 4-story training tower. The station’s aesthetics are modern while respecting the city’s history, mixing traditional red brick with metallic siding, which pays homage to its immediate context in a commercial district and serves as a quality civic gateway to the historic downtown.