Pelham Central Fire Station Combines Long-Term Durability, Energy Efficiency and Essential-Facility Resilience
After Multiple Proposals Failed to Win Voter Support, a More Economical ICF Design Delivered a High-Performance Fire Station Built for Decades of Service
General Contractor: Eckman Construction
Architect: Berard Martel Architecture, Inc.
Owner’s Project Manager: Castagna Consulting Group
ICF Supplier: Nudura
The Pelham Central Fire Station at 36 Village Green provides the Town of Pelham with a modern, durable facility designed to support continuous fire and emergency medical operations. The approximately 17,300-square-foot building includes a 12-door apparatus facility, administrative offices, bunkrooms, living quarters and training areas for personnel working around the clock.
The completed station replaced an outdated facility that could no longer accommodate the department’s growth. During the decade in which the Town evaluated its future needs, the department doubled in personnel and expanded to provide 24-hour fire protection and advanced life-support paramedic service.
Redesigning the Project to Gain Public Support
Before construction could begin, the Town faced a significant challenge: several earlier fire-station proposals had been rejected by voters over concerns about building size and cost. Castagna Consulting Group was retained as the owner’s project manager to re-evaluate the plan, work with fire department personnel to establish an efficient facility size, and develop a budget that could earn public support. The resulting proposal received voter approval and allowed the project to move forward.
The decision to use Nudura® Insulated Concrete Forms was central to the revised plan. ICF construction offered the durability, energy efficiency and long-term value, required for a critical public facility while helping the project remain economically viable.
Designing an Essential Facility for Severe Conditions
Fire stations are classified as essential facilities and are expected to remain operational following major storms, floods, earthquakes and other extreme events. Their design must also accommodate unusually high apparatus-bay walls, long roof spans and large vehicle openings.
The Pelham station’s highly insulated concrete form shell was paired with a steel joist and trussed-roof system. According to the architect, the building achieved the highest hazard- and hurricane-resistance rating obtainable using conventional materials and products. Its continuous insulation envelope was also designed to reduce heating and cooling loads compared with similar facilities.
The apparatus-bay openings required substantial reinforced headers to support the structure above the large doors. The building was kept primarily on one level, avoiding the complications of placing major fire-station functions on multiple floors.
Durability and Energy Performance Drove the ICF Decision
For the Town, the decision came down to more than initial construction cost. Long-term operating expenses, structural durability and the useful life of the building were all important considerations.
Michael Castagna, president of Castagna Consulting Group, explained, “It was the durability and energy efficiency that sold the city on building with ICF. We conservatively estimate that, as long as they maintain everything well, the building should last 50, 60, even 70 years — long past our lifetimes.”
The solid concrete core and continuous insulation provided by the Nudura ICF wall system contribute to an airtight, energy-efficient building envelope while offering greater resilience than a conventional wood-framed structure. Additionally, the Nudura wall system allows contractors to complete six steps in a single process, resulting in a streamlined construction schedule, facilitation faster project completion.
What Made This Project Successful?
- Castagna Consulting Group fundamentally re-envisioned the project, replacing earlier building concepts with an ICF-based design that delivered greater long-term performance and value while earning voter approval.
- The revised design balanced the department’s operational needs with a more economical and publicly supportable plan.
- Nudura ICF construction provided the durability and structural resilience required for an essential facility.
- The continuous insulated wall system reduced projected heating and cooling demands.
- The building accommodates 12 apparatus doors, administrative functions, living quarters, bunkrooms and training areas within an efficient approximately 17,300-square-foot plan.
- The completed station was designed for a significantly longer useful life than conventional wood or steel building shells.
