Fire Station 8

Fire Station 8, a 7,700-square-foot drive-through apparatus station, was the beginning of something new for the Columbia Fire Department. A prototype station that meets the community’s current and future needs, Station No. 8 anchors the southeast region of the City of Columbia. The $1.05 million station addresses the need for flexibility by utilizing a modular concept that allows for the growth of each critical element of the station and flexibility of placement concerning critical elements of function.

The planned addition of two future stations required a drive-through or back-in apparatus and single or double deep truck storage that could expand. The design allows for multiple main entry presentations and flexibility with differing site requirements. A police department substation adds to the police department’s growing neighborhood presence throughout the community.

Working with the federally funded percent for art program, the station design required community interaction through neighborhood meetings and presentations with the designers. This allowed the blending of the building’s and site’s architecture with the art that forms a new neighborhood center.