Issue link: http://firehouse.epubxp.com/i/406858
November 2014 l Firehouse l 105 O ver a span of nearly 80 years, the Borough of Lehighton Fire Department in Pennsylvania operated through two separate frehous- es on the same street. One building is a combination police and fre station and the other solely fre department. Te vi- sion of creating one cohesive facility ulti- mately drove the Lehighton Fire Depart- ment to purchase the properties between their two buildings. Afer the depart- ment acquired all of the property neces- sary to fulfll its goal, H2M was retained to design a unique, 18,000-square-foot infll addition. Two major challenges were over- come in order to successfully design the addition to the two existing buildings, one of which dates back to the 1910s, and the other to the 1930s. Te frst was to keep both existing buildings fully op- erational during the ongoing construc- tion, which was done by retaining the existing stairwells and elevators within the design. Te design team also faced the challenge of varying elevations be- tween the two existing buildings. As a resolution, the new infll addition con- nects directly to the fre department building and was not connected directly to the combination police/fre station. Manipulation of the various foor levels included a 2½-inch elevation change be- tween the existing 1910-1930 structures and the new addition. Te foor levels now match the exterior street levels. Official Project Name: Lehighton Fire Department Project City/State: Lehighton, PA Date Completed: April 7, 2014 Fire Chief: Gary Frable/Steve Ebbert Project Area (sq.ft.) 18,000 Total Cost: $3,168,308 Cost Per Square Foot: $176 Architect/Firm Name: H2M architects + engineers Website: www.h2m.com Design Team: Architecture (H2M architects + engineers): Renee Marcus, RA, LEED AP Robert Bee, RA, LEED AP, Patrick Stone, LEED AP Scott Lehn, PE, MEP (Strunk-Albert Engineering): Kenneth R. Zimmerman PE, LEED AP, Civil (Benchmark Civil Engineering Services, Inc.): Bernie Telatovich, PE Construction Manager (Alvin H. Butz, Inc.): Ed Dreisbach Lehighton Fire Department LEHIGHTON, PA VOLUNTEER/COMBINATION NOTABLE ® Te overall design resulted in a two- story addition with fve new apparatus bays, as well as bunker gear and appara- tus support spaces. Careful thought was put into the addition's exterior, which incorporated a blend of brick and feld- stone materials to match the fnishes of the two existing buildings. Staf amenities include new meeting and training rooms, ofces, a dispatch ofce, a dayroom and kitchen, and locker rooms. New egress stairwells, ramps and an ADA-compliant elevator are also included within the new infll addition. Before After