City of Denton’s Fire Station No. 7 received Gold LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).  The building was designed by Kirkpatrick Architecture Studio (KAS), a Denton-based, full-service architecture firm.  The new four-bay fire station located just off Bonnie Brae in the Southwest corner of Denton, totals more than 15,000 square feet and includes housing for up to 12 people, office space, training/community room and a police substation.   

 

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating, a points-based system, was established by the non-profit USGBC, whose core purpose is to change the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, into environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.   KAS’ hands-on management of the LEED Certification process, paired with the City’s commitment to building a green facility, allowed the fire station to earn enough points for Gold certification on a project that originally only pursued Silver Certification.  The USGBC certifies buildings at four levels, which are basic Certification, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

 

Many of the green design approaches taken by KAS will have significant economic benefits for the City.  The highly insulated, energy-efficient building will use more than 35 percent less energy than a conventional building.  This was achieved, in part, through the use of geo-thermal heat pumps and high-efficiency lighting. 

 

Water usage at the station will also be dramatically less.  Once the landscape is established, irrigation will come entirely from rainwater runoff from the roof and collected in four 5,400 gallon cisterns.  Additionally, low-flow and high-efficiency plumbing fixtures reduce domestic water use by more than 50 percent.

 

The City’s concern for the health, comfort and productivity of the firefighters married nicely with the green building strategies implemented by KAS.  These included operable windows in the bunk rooms, exterior views from more than 90 percent of the spaces, ample daylight, and extensive use of low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) products.  In addition, a large fitness room was included.  Green buildings have been proven to enhance the wellbeing and performance of its occupants, making building green an easy decision for the Fire Department. 

 

As the City of Denton ’s first green civic building, the station serves not only as an icon for the community, but as a harbinger for the City’s green future. 

“We are thrilled to be a part of the green building and sustainable project movement, and we are pleased to combine our passion, knowledge and skills with the LEED rating system to bring this recognition to the fire station,” said James R. Kirkpatrick, architect and CEO of KAS.  “This was an exciting project for us because we enjoy working with the City, the Fire Department and providing our community with facilities that have a positive impact on our environment.  We look forward to working with the City on more green projects in the future.” 

 

David M. Robinson, an architect on the KAS staff and a LEED Accredited Professional, served as the LEED Project Administrator and was instrumental in the station’s green design.  David is a project manager and has been with the firm since 2004. 

 

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Kirkpatrick Architecture Studio is a full service architecture firm, established in 1978, by president, CEO and lead architect, James R. Kirkpatrick.  The firm is located in Denton , Texas and has designed buildings across the state and in Mexico .  KAS strives to preserve the local character of each project’s surroundings while using the latest in design techniques.  In 2004, KAS received an award for the Best Adaptive Re-use of a Historic Structure for their design of the Central Fire Station located in historic downtown Denton .  KAS evaluates “green building” strategies for each project and has a LEED Accredited Professional architect on staff.  For more information, visit www.k-a-studio.com or contact Katie Hartfield at katie@k-a-studio.com or (940) 387-8182. All comments are the sole responsibility of the author. 

This article was originally posted 8/21/07.