Fontaine Fire Station

Photo Credit: 2RW Consultants, Courtesy Peggy Harrison

Charlottesville Fontaine Fire Station

Charlottesville, VA

Owner

City of Charlotteville

Sustainability

LEED Platinum

Timeframe

2011 – 2014

Size

40,200 SF

Cost

$14 million

MEP/FP engineering for the new Fontaine Fire Station focused on delivering a high-performance, resilient facility that supports 24/7 emergency response operations, training functions, and firefighter living spaces. The design integrates geothermal heating and cooling, dedicated ventilation with energy recovery, on-site rainwater harvesting, and reliable electrical infrastructure including emergency power to ensure continuous operation under all conditions. These systems work together to enhance energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and long-term operational reliability, contributing to the station’s LEED Platinum certification and reduced energy use.

Project Goals

The original Fontaine Fire Station, built in the 1960s, was one of three stations in Charlottesville at the time and was a relatively small department with very large responsibilities. The new station, completed in 2014, is a multi-use complex that not only modernizes and consolidates fire and rescue operations but houses administration, operations, public education, and training functions along with fire apparatus and a mechanic’s shop. The station has garnered national interest, drawing fire and rescue teams from around the country to its training programs.

Services

2RW provided a variety of services for this project including MEP/FP engineering, energy modeling, and LEED planning and documentation development. Sustainability-focused MEP/FP features include:

Efficient standing column well geothermal heating and cooling system.
On-site renewable energy production with a 17.7 kW photovoltaic (PV) roof-mounted system.
CO2-controlled dedicated ventilation.
A 20,000 gallon rainwater-harvesting cistern, low-flow fixtures, tankless domestic water heating system, and on-site captured rainwater for flushing toilets and washing fire apparatus.
Extensive natural lighting supplemented by solar tubes with facility-wide LED lighting and occupancy sensors.
MEP/FP systems that support “training by design” by simulating smoke and confined spaces for firefighter training.

Results

An Energy Use Index (EUI) of 44.99 kBtu/GSF, which is approximately half the U.S. median EUI for fire stations. (2017 data)
51% reduction in potable water usage from baseline.
23,827 kWh of electricity produced by solar PV system. (2017 data)

Partners

FGMA
Ehlert Bryan
McKee Carson, Inc

Awards

2018 – Leadership Award for Innovative Design, New Construction, USGBC Virginia
2016 – Third Place Local Government, Virginia Energy Efficiency Leadership Award, VAEEC
2014 – Award of Honor (Gold), F.I.E.R.O Fire Station Design Award
2010 – Award of Honor (Gold) “On the Boards”, F.I.E.R.O Fire Station Design Award

Team

Adrienne Hendrickson, PE

Senior Electrical Engineer

Bethany Prevatt

BIM/CAD Operator

Project Gallery

Image credit

2RW Consultants

Associated Project

Charlottesville Fontaine Fire Station

Owner

Sustainability

Timeframe

Size

Cost

Project Goals

Services

Results

Partners

Awards

Adrienne Hendrickson, PE

Bethany Prevatt

Project Gallery

Image credit

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Charlottesville Fontaine Fire Station

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Sustainability in Engineering