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Best of 2006 Awards
Erie County Public Safety Campus
AWARD OF MERIT: Public Works and Facilities
PHOTO BY TIM WILKES |
A new $33 million facility has consolidated forensics, evidence collection, an emergency call center, and disaster control services for Erie County under one roof in Buffalo, N.Y.
“It was a nice surprise,” one juror said.
The 110,000-sq.-ft. Erie County Public Safety Campus, completed in February, is steel-framed with poured-in-place concrete walls. It has an exterior of ribbed metal panel systems, curtain wall systems with polycarbonate translucent glazing, and aluminum sunscreens.
“Architecturally, it’s a nice job,” said another judge.
The principal task for the design and construction team, led by Cannon Design of nearby Grand Island, N.Y., was to incorporate the security requirements necessary in the post-Sept. 11 era – such as measures to prevent progressive collapse or creating setbacks away from high-traffic areas – while also fitting the building into its urban environment.
Completed on a fast-track schedule, the work began with demolition and abatement of an abandoned five-story, concrete-and-brick, 19th Century warehouse on the site. Material procurement was a recurring hurdle because several law enforcement agencies to be housed in the facility had fast-evolving security requirements.
Set back 50 ft. from a concrete perimeter seat wall, the facility has a buffer zone that still fits into the urban framework. Located at the Interstate 190 off-ramp, the building serves as a gateway into the city through a prominent series of stacked, two-story glass lobbies positioned at its southwest corner.
The lobbies also serve as an illuminated beacon at night. Meanwhile the west façade, facing the downtown, has large-scale openings and angled planes that fit into the cityscape.
Among the agencies using the facility’s 911 call center and other services are Buffalo’s police and fire departments and Erie County’s sheriff’s department, emergency medical services unit, and central police services division.
Key Players
Owner: County of Erie
Architect-Construction Manager: Cannon Design
Civil Engineer: Watts Engineering & Architecture
Landscape Architecture: Jack Curtis & Associates
Electrical: Frey Electric
Mechanical: DV Brown & Associates
Concrete: Fisher Development & General Contractors
Steel: Erie Steel Products
Plumbing: H.B. Plumbing |
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