Fire station of the future

A modern new fire station has been built n in Straubenhardt in Baden-Württemberg according to the Cradle to Cradle principle, which sets new standards both in terms of architecture and sustainability.

Volunteer firefighters are always on call when things get dangerous, making an indispensable contribution to general safety in numerous municipalities throughout Germany. To be able to do their job optimally, they need good equipment, but also modern fire stations, with enough space for vehicles and equipment as well as for training junior fire-fighters.

Modern new building for six fire brigade teams

A three-storey fire station designed by wulf architecten GmbH from Stuttgart has been built in the municipality of Straubenhardt in the Enzkreis district of Baden-Württemberg, with space for 130 active emergency personnel and, thanks to its special construction, has become a flagship building far beyond the borders of the municipality. With the new building, the entire fire brigade has also been restructured. All six previous individual teams are now located next to the Feldrennach sports field in Straubenhardt and have been combined into one large unit.

Impressive design

The imposing new building makes the different areas of use clearly visible even from the outside. An open mezzanine floor is located above the solid concrete base built into the slope with fire engine hall, storage and technical areas as well as plenty of space for changing rooms. This can be reached via an external ramp and can be used as a multi-functional area for parking, as a living area and for events. Above the open floor is a wooden structure with a white metal facade, which houses a training room, office space and other communal rooms. Events with up to 200 people can be held here.

Award-winning Cradle to Cradle concept

And since the municipality has been the first “cradle-to-cradle model community” in Baden-Württemberg since 2019, the new fire station has also been consistently implemented according to this concept and received an award in the “Klimaaktive Kommune 2023 2023” competition. This is partly because the fire station, which was built with a green roof, is connected to the local heating network and heated with renewable energies. The rainwater that seeps into the site is also collected and stored for firefighting exercises.

In addition, according to the Cradle to Cradle principle, all products and materials used must either be biodegradable or be able to be reused as technical ingredients in new products. Alongside concrete, the new building also uses lots of metal and untreated wood.

Ceiling panels round off the concept

In the spacious and open interiors, the planners have also only used materials that contribute to a healthy indoor climate, are not harmful to health and can be easily separated and reused during dismantling. Acoustic panels in fire protection class B-s1, d0 were installed in the wide corridors flooded with light thanks to large window fronts, in the modern rooms on the upper floor and in the lounge in the fire engine hall area. For fire protection reasons, acoustic panels were also used in the roofed exterior area of the open parking deck. However, these meet the requirements of fire protection class A2-s1,d0 (non-combustible).