Rescue Company 2 Wins Public Design Commission of New York Award
July 14, 2015
Rescue Company 2 was honored with an Excellence in Design Award from New York’s Public Design Commission. The new facility, located in Brownsville, Brooklyn, will house Brooklyn’s elite force of firefighters and rescue workers. Recognizing the importance of full preparedness, the building is designed to be a training tool itself by enabling the simulation of a wide range of emergency conditions in, on, and around the building. The design incorporates innovative double-use spaces such as a vertical light and air shaft that doubles as a training tower with windows, doors, and balconies that mimic typical city conditions. The exterior maintains the neighborhood scale and iconic red doors of more traditional firehouses. In line with the Mayor’s commitment to an 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the design includes a geothermal HVAC system, solar powered hot-water heating system, and natural lighting and ventilation to reduce energy use.
About the Awards
Since 1983, the Public Design Commission has recognized outstanding public projects with its Annual Awards for Excellence in Design. The Thirty-Third Annual Design Awards were held at the Whitney Museum of American Art on July 14, 2015.
