Fire Station #7 is a 9,270 square foot, 3-bay apparatus, drive-through fire station designed with a priority on efficiency and ease-of-use throughout the building to ensure the crew would be optimally positioned to serve the community at all times.

The single-story fire station has an incredibly efficient and simplified open floor plan, eliminating unnecessary corridors and providing immediate access to the apparatus bay from any space within the building. All eight dorm/sleeping rooms & three of five single-use bathrooms are connected to a single hallway with direct access to the apparatus bay. The dayroom, kitchen and dining rooms also have direct access to the bay and were designed to serve double duty individual and large group training areas to maximize efficiency and eliminate unneeded space.

The use of sustainable and durable construction materials, including stained polished concrete floors, structural brick walls, quartz countertops, and bamboo plywood products virtually eliminates typical routine building maintenance — including re-painting — allowing the crew to focus on its job, training and service to the community. Large missile, level-E impact rated glass apparatus bay sectional doors, clerestory glass windows, and storefront window glazing systems used throughout the building provide great visibility and natural day lighting to all essential areas. The station also incorporates photovoltaic solar panels which generate 28.8 KW of power to offset power consumption throughout the year.

In order to create a healthy living and working space for the crew, several high-performance building systems were incorporated into the design, including fully controlled, programmable air-conditioning systems, which utilize an energy recovery unit to recapture pre-treated air. The apparatus bay is equipped with a Diesel Exhaust Venting System greatly improving air quality within the apparatus bays. The laundry work/bio room features a gear extractor washing machine and dryer. Programmable dorm-room tones for fire and EMS allow gender and use flexibility. Ceiling recessed night red lights in the sleeping room hallway ease vision on late night / early morning calls.

Fire Station #7 was designed to serve the City for 75+ years. It will provide a safe, healthy and comfortable home for its fire fighters as they serve the community and will do so while having minimum negative impact on the environment.

AIA Tampa Bay Merit Award for Architecture (2019)