Engine Company 259 Firehouse
This commission from the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) called for the renovation and addition to a classic New York City firehouse. The FDNY stipulated that the building be restored rather than replaced, despite the fact that the structure was incapable of carrying the loads of the modern fire trucks, and the original spaces were built for obsolete technologies and social structures. As such, Andrew Berman Architect had to gut and temporarily support the brick shell of the original building, in order to thread new structure, spaces, and mechanicals within.
Beyond solving the myriad of technological and logistical issues inherent to a modern firehouse, the architect set out to create a coherent series of dignified spaces suitable to the varied programmatic needs of the firefighters. The program includes a garage for three trucks and fueling, as well as spaces for cooking, dining, a lounge, offices and training rooms, locker rooms, a dormitory, laundry, and an exercise facility. An exterior terrace with a barbecue was also added.
