U.S. Green Building Council 2020 Award of Excellence Innovation Design, New Construction
Preserving Wetlands Key to New Fire Station for Expanding Community
In order to prepare for anticipated population growth and reduce response times on the southeast side of town, the City of Madison recently completed the construction of a new, 20,000 square-foot, fire station. The new Fire Station 14 features spacious living areas, training facilities, and multiple support spaces, including small meeting rooms and a large community room for public use. The incorporation of open green space around the facility was designed to accommodate fire department training needs and provide the city with room to expand the facility in the future.
As the Civil Engineer for the project, Snyder & Associates provided a variety of services including:
- Site design
- Stormwater management
- Grading & erosion control
- Utility & infiltration design
The new fire station is located in a light industrial area. The original site was home to an old greenhouse that had been vacant for many years. The project centered on the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the area to protect wetlands and other sensitive environmental spaces east of the project site. A variety of erosion control methods including, silt fence, berms, construction staging, and temporary seeding were implemented to meet the rehabilitation effort.
Permeable Parking Lot Pavers & Bioretention Areas Contribute to LEED Platinum Certification
Central to the project design was the City of Madison’s requirement for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification at a silver rating or higher. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED is a program that focuses on environmental and social sustainability principles to transform how buildings are designed, built, and operated. The program not only considers environmental and occupant well-being, but it also strives to use fewer resources in the construction process, which helps minimize waste.
Permeable Pavers allow for stormwater to seep through instead of creating localized runoff.
In addition to the building’s green design, one major contributing factor that led to LEED accreditation on this project was the use of permeable pavers in three separate parking areas. Around the perimeter of each parking lot, permeable pavers were used to cover 4,300 square feet of space. The pavers were installed on 18″ of compacted stone to promote stormwater filtration. Also, two bioretention areas with native plantings cover another 2,000 square feet of land. A 2′ layer of engineered soil comprised of compost and sand on top of another 2′ layer of rock, encourages the filtration of stormwater runoff before it infiltrates the native soil below.
The use of permeable pavers and bioretention areas will help improve water quality and replenish underground water reservoirs. Together, these stormwater management facilities are expected to achieve over 90% predevelopment infiltration volumes. These green designs developed by Snyder & Associates were a major factor in this project garnering LEED “platinum” certification, far exceeding the city’s silver certification requirement.
