MCKELLAR FIRE HALL
The Township of McKellar is located 25 km east of the Town of Parry Sound. The centrally located existing fire hall was in need of significant updating and expansion. Rather than modifying the existing facility, the Township chose to put a new facility on the existing site. A Design Build competition was developed and 3stones joined with W.S. Morgan Construction of Parry Sound to prepare the successful solution.
The design parameters were to provide a single storey facility that would function as both a fire hall and training facility. The functional program included an office, training room, ready room, apparatus room and small attic storage loft all with specific spatial requirements. The challenges were to develop a design that would be sympathetic to the developing aesthetic taste of the area and meet high expectations of building performance on a tight budget. In addition, construction was to proceed without interruption of the existing fire hall.
To meet these challenges, the design was developed to give the building a more sophisticated appearance using typical exterior finishes which differentiate and define the different forms of the building. These finishes include stone masonry, 2 types of prefinished wood siding, cedar shakes and timber frame accents. This new fire hall also needed to be designed as a post disaster building with low operating costs. To meet the requirements of exceptional thermal and structural performance, a structure of Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) and interior concrete masonry walls was employed. Window locations and sizes were optimized for natural light and ventilation. Durable neutral interior finishes completed the design.
Photography by Sean O’Reilly; Al and Lesley Last