Focused on a simple and elegant form, responding to firefighter health and response times and creating an authentic community connection, the Torrey Pines Fire Station is a beacon in the community—a building fit for its environment.
Clean air, clean bodies, clean gear; this is the central idea that The Torrey Pines Fire Station was designed around, actively working to support the wellbeing and safety of not only the surrounding community, but the firefighters, themselves.
Firefighters are exposed to a wide array of toxic chemicals and carcinogens daily, the harmful agents burying themselves in the fibers of clothing and the pores of skin. For this reason, it was imperative that the new fire station in The Torrey Pines community work to mitigate those dangers.
The program is separated into three zones—red, yellow and green—in order to reduce exposure and prevent cross-contamination of possible carcinogens that get carried back to the station house on PPE, equipment and apparatus. Special care is given to firefighter comfort and well-being through healthy material choices, ample access to daylighting and views, access to natural ventilation, and opportunities for indoor/outdoor spaces at the kitchen and exercise room.
Defending the community and protecting the firefighters are priorities for the Torrey Pines Fire Station, but the design also aims for the new building to connect to its place. The Torrey Pines area is home to the nation’s rarest pine tree and has a unique and iconic character both built and natural. The building is nestled into the surrounding landscape in order to maintain the continuity of the mature pines and coastal vegetation along this stretch of N. Torrey Pines Road. The design recognizes that there is no back side to the building, straddling the border between a busy public arterial and the UC San Diego campus and responding appropriately to each side. With the site carved out of its surrounding context, the building is anchored into the landscape on the east with a visual connection to campus, while opening up towards the public facing west with a well-defined public entry and expanding views from the shared living areas towards the west. The station is also the first in the region to include an all-electric fire apparatus, serving as a prototype for future City of San Diego stations.
Rooted in place, bound to its firefighters, and accountable to its community, the Torrey Pines Fire Station creates a haven of safety for this small coastal town.
General Contractor: Level 10 Construction
MEP Engineering: ELEN Consulting
Structural Engineering: Coffman
Civil Engineering: Latitude 33
Landscape: Schmidt Design Group