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Fire stations of the world: Waltham's Moody Street Fire Station in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, US
Saccoccio and Associates was selected by the City of Waltham to design and build the new fire station located next door to the old station. The existing fire station, which is a historic building, remained and functioned as a training site, as well as vehicle and equipment. Having been in continuous use since its construction in 1890, the historic Moody Street Fire Station in Waltham, Massachusetts in the US, is an excellent example of Queen Anne/Romanesque Revival styling. Hence, the primary design challenge was to renovate the existing structure carefully to maintain its National Register of Historic Places while incorporating an addition that meets the modern requirements of a 21st Century fire department that’s located in a densely populated urban neighbourhood.
The solution was to first create an addition that takes design elements from the original building while allowing it to remain the focal point of the station. The two-storey structure consists of four new apparatus bays and an administrative and operations centre that are on the first floor and individual living quarters, a study and support facilities that are on the second floor. Other features include wider bays, a dispatch area, a community room, meeting room, a decontamination room, an exercise room and sleeping quarters for the fire fighters. Once the addition was operational, the historic building could be renovated. The interior was completely modernised while maintaining the existing three apparatus bays and the gear and decontamination rooms that are on the first floor. A remodelled dayroom, kitchen, dining room and gym are located on the second floor. The exterior of the historic building was renovated fully and restored to its original 1890 design. This included the dismantling and reconstruction of a portion of the 70-foot-tall hose tower. The renovated station provides the Waltham Fire Department with the amenities and space of a modern station while remaining connected to the department’s past, which began on the site during an age when fire fighters responded on horse-drawn apparatus. Source: Saccoccio and Associates Architects |
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