Architect(s): Bekkering Adams Architecten
Address: Stokhorstweg 1, DOETINCHEM, Netherlands
Latitude/Longitude: 51.963550200167184,6.280034458878643
Photographs: Ossip van Duivenboden
Fire Station Doetinchem combines durability, functionality and an attractive living and working environment in a green oasis.
The station is 24 hours operational and the building houses a mix of functions for living, working and sleeping facilities. A spatial development with various vistas makes the organization clear and transparent, allowing visitors a glimpse of the dynamic environment of the fire station. It has an A+ energy label and is situated next to an important route for bats. The building is designed as a villa in the green and is embedded in its ecological structure. Functionality, sustainability and environmental integration have been the leading design themes during the process.
Villa in green surroundings
The Fire station in Doetinchem is designed as a villa, integrated in the landscape. It is a green oasis situated along side the major thoroughfare in Doetinchem. The horizontally oriented building is surrounded by majestic trees and has clear, crisp lines and surfaces. The grass of the surrounding countryside is pulled over the building in a large slope and evolves into a series of roof gardens and patios on top of the sheltered area for the fire trucks. Because of the slope, the exercise facilities are hidden from view, thus guaranteeing a green environment.
Transparent
The Fire station houses several functions with a variety of appearance and atmosphere: the sheltered area for the fire trucks, the workshop and car wash on the ground floor, the bedrooms on the first floor and on the upper layer the offices, work-café, fitness room and living areas. Because of the high transparency , there is an abundance of daylight coming into the building. The big windows ensure panoramic views of the green surroundings. The various vistas create different views and unexpected perspectives; For instance the sheltered area for the fire trucks can be viewed from the locker room on the first floor and from the hall the Fire trucks can be seen. A striking feature of the interior is the majestic staircase that connects all floors and functions. Along side the staircase is a light wooden wall which folds around the service unit on the top floor. The office floor is fully developed in accordance with the new way of working, with open office spaces and flexible furnishing. Cohesion and identity are created by a variation in materials: glass, brick, wood, concrete, smooth and with patterns embossed in it. On the upper floor roof gardens, patio’s and terraces provide the building of it’s specific sculptural expression, creating outdoor spaces with their own specific identity: one linked to the work-cafe and bar, one linked to the living room of the volunteers, one linked to the office spaces. Huge cantilevers form a sheltered area for the fire trucks, anchoring the building in its surroundings.
Encounter
In September 2010 Bekkering Adams architects won the first prize in the competition for an integrated design for the Municipality of Doetinchem, together with advisors Aronsohn and Royal HaskoningDHV. Juliette Bekkering and Monica Adams also designed the fire stations Middelburg – Vlissingen and Rheden. Much attention is paid to functionality and sustainability, as well as urban integration, the materialization of the building and creating encounters between the different users.
Text description provided by the architects.
Program: 3.600m², Sheltered area for fire trucks, workshops, offices, meeting and presentation rooms, fitness room, training facilities, instruction rooms, work-café, living and sleeping areas
Client: Municipality of Doetinchem
Design team: Monica Adams, Juliette Bekkering, Perry Klootwijk, Esther Vlasveld, Frank Venhorst, Zuzana Kuldova, Pia Fischer, Stefania Masuino, Gerard Heerink, Magda Strak
Contractor: Koopmans-WAM & Van Duren
Structural engineer: Aronsohn Raadgevend ingenieurs
M&E engineer: Royal HaskoningDHV
Building physics: Peutz
Contributed by Bekkering Adams Architecten
