BKV Group-Designed Woodlawn Fire Station Completed in Mount Vernon, Virginia
BKV Group has announced the completion of the new Woodlawn Fire and Rescue Station #24 in Mount Vernon, Va., south of Washington, D.C.
Designed in partnership with Pacheco Ross Architects, the two-story, 15,149-square-foot facility replaces a smaller outdated station that was built more than 50 years ago as the first fire station owned and operated by Fairfax County.
In overseeing the planning, pre-development, architecture, engineering and interiors for the Woodlawn Fire Station, BKV Group created a design that could be implemented in phases so the existing facility could remain operational throughout construction, which began in December 2019. The new station, designed for 24/7 operations, includes a brick structure containing four drive-through apparatus bays for emergency vehicles, as well as an adjacent two-story building, clad with metal panels and brick, housing the station’s administrative office, bunk spaces, kitchen and dining room, locker and shower rooms, physical conditioning facility, gear and medical supply storage, maintenance shop, and decontamination space. The station also includes a separate suite on the first floor for an EMS supervisor.
“Replacing a staple of the community that has stood for more than a half-century required collaboration with local officials and other stakeholders to ensure the new facility would be equipped to meet the needs of Mount Vernon today and in the future,” said Mark A. Manetti, AIA, government and education practice leader and partner at BKV Group. “Through careful planning, we were able to avoid temporary relocation costs, minimize service disruption, and attain the desired level of sustainability.”
The Woodlawn Fire Station was designed to achieve LEED Gold certification – above the minimum LEED Silver requirement established by Fairfax County. The project was able to attain the higher LEED accreditation through its exemplary score in water efficiency, on-site renewable energy, and indoor environmental quality.
The project’s phased construction, contemporary design and congruency with the surrounding neighborhood contributed to BKV Group receiving a 2021 James M. Scott Exceptional Design Awards Merit Award for institutional design excellence, a Fairfax County program that raises awareness of outstanding planning and design projects. The Woodlawn Fire Station also received NAIOP Northern Virginia’s 2021 Build-to-Suit Institutional Award of Excellence.
“Fairfax County continues to improve services to our residents and businesses through new facilities like this, bringing state-of-the-art emergency readiness and enhanced emergency medical rescue services. I am also thankful to BKV Group for their dedication to designing our new building with energy efficient systems to meet LEED Gold Certification.”
Dan Storck, Mount Vernon District Supervisor
“This new, enhanced fire and rescue station is designed to improve emergency response services in the Woodlawn community as it grows, and we embark on the 21st century redevelopment of Richmond Highway,” said Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck. “Fairfax County continues to improve services to our residents and businesses through new facilities like this, bringing state-of-the-art emergency readiness and enhanced emergency medical rescue services. I am also thankful to BKV Group for their dedication to designing our new building with energy efficient systems to meet LEED Gold Certification.”
Scheibel Construction, of Huntingtown, Md., served as general contractors for the development, with BKV Group currently working on a similar firehouse replacement development for Fairfax County’s Seven Corners Fire Station in nearby Annandale, Virginia.