Almanor District Fire Office
Additional Info
Award Winner : Modern Building Systems, Inc.
Architectural Excellence : North-Central California boasts virgin forest, majestic mountains, & hidden lakes. The need to protect the wild & scenic country from the ravages of forest fires requires placing fire stations in locations within this wilderness. Many of these locations were originally constructed in the 1940’s & ‘50’s & are in dire need of replacement. Remote locations make building new structures expensive & dependent on short weather windows. The building was constructed to meet the stringent California WUI (Wildlife Urban Interface) codes with enclosed soffits, Class “A” fire resistant roofing & fiber-cement lap siding. In addition, due to the proximity of 100’+ tall trees & the elevation (+5,000 ft.), the building has enclosed gutters with ice dams & a 100# snow load. The foundation was designed to allow for the Forest Service to move the building when other construction impacts the area. The standing seam roof, lap siding & rustic appearance blend in well with other buildings on site.
Cost Energy Effectiveness : The building meets the newest California energy codes & has high SEER heat pumps, occupancy sensors in all rooms, & very high insulation factors, as well as insulated skirting & utility entries. Modern Building Systems, Inc. has been certified as an EarthWISE company & is proud to have utilized recycled composition products & locally available sustainable forest products as the standard for all of the products used for construction of this project. The Forest Service budget is a yearly battle to maintain, equip & replace. By utilizing modular structures, they save on the average 30% over conventional construction in these hard-to-reach areas, & allow themselves to replace buildings during the very short construction season of the High Sierras, keeping building time frames from extending season-to-season. Because of its design, this building will remain an integral part of the battle to keep our wild spaces safe for many years to come.
Engineering Firm Name : Blazer Industries, Inc.
Installer Firm Name : Modern Building Systems, Inc.
Occupied Date : 7/21/2014
Owner Firm Name : USDA Forest Service
Production Start Date : 12/2/2013
Project Location City : Chester
Project Location State Name : CA
Technical Innovation : This structure, due to its use as a fire station administrative center & communications hub for the Forest Service, has a fiber optic cable communications net as well as voice/data cabling connecting it to all other buildings in the Fire Center. The crews that man the building are in-house 24-7 & their time is spent in fire prevention. Preventive maintenance sometimes takes a back seat to the exigencies of their all-important jobs. The exterior & interior finishes are designed for low-maintenance; easily cleaned & difficult to harm. An example is the exterior ramp & deck, which is a system devised initially for marine use, with all-weather aluminum frames & handrails & heavy-duty PVC decking, which needs little to no preventive maintenance.
Total Square Feet : 1440