In Quarters: North Mason Regional Fire Authority Station 21, Belfair, WA

This facility received a Career 1 Notable award in the 2023 Firehouse Station Design Awards. Find the full list of winners here.

This single-story fire station is on 3½ acres that are adjacent to the previous fire station. Since the completion of Station 21, the previous fire station houses Mason County Sheriff ’s Office and Emergency Services and will serve as the North Mason’s emergency management campus. The design team worked with the stakeholders to develop a joint-use parking agreement between the two facilities. This approach significantly reduced the required parking area for the new building, which scaled down site disturbance and stormwater management adjacent to seasonal drainage and wetland areas. In addition, access to an existing single-family residence was developed to avoid displacing a long-time resident. On-site improvements include landscaping, covered patios, secure parking, a new underground septic system and stormwater management.

The aesthetics of the fire station were inspired by the agricultural structures in the local community, particularly the rural character that’s found in gambrel-shaped barns, such as the use of siding, low-profile gable roofs and cupolas. The material palette consists of exposed gray concrete masonry, galvanized standing-seam roofing, red vertical metal siding, gray-toned glazing, and black and dark gray accents. These materials represent a low-maintenance approach but still feel at home with the design language of the community. The program includes four apparatus bays, nine gender-neutral dormitory rooms, four bathrooms, two training rooms, an exam room, seven offices, a fitness room, and work/living and support spaces.

This headquarters station is a modern facility that’s code-compliant, energy-efficient, low maintenance and durable. Most of all, it’s built to provide firefighters with a safe environment. Green initiatives include a high-efficiency variable refrigerant flow HVAC system, an above-code envelope design that includes air sealing, and daylight zoning. This campus provides more efficiency to emergency operations, training and community resources for the next 50 years and beyond.

Architect/Firm Name: Perlman Architects, Architects West