Net Zero Energy Fire Station / Community Hall
A strong commitment to sustainability shaped every aspect of the project, from material selection to energy performance. Solar power, geothermal heating and cooling, radiant floor heating, and daylighting strategies support the Nation's goal of creating a net zero energy building while enhancing day to day operations.The Onondaga Nation envisioned more than a replacement fire station. Through an extensive stakeholder engagement process, Ashley McGraw Architects worked with the Nation to establish a shared project vision that prioritized emergency response, community gathering, sustainability, and cultural values. Named Tsha’thoñswatha’, meaning "where they put it out," the new facility serves as both a modern fire station and a welcoming community hall designed to bring people together.
Client
Onondaga Nation
Location
Nedrow, New York
Services
Architecture, Interior Design, Net Zero Energy, Stakeholder Engagement, and New Construction
Built by the Nation, for the NationThe Nation's vision extended beyond emergency response to create a building that would strengthen the community for generations to come. Constructed with labor from members of the Onondaga Nation, Tsha’thoñswatha’ provides modern apparatus bays, office and training spaces, and a dedicated community hall equipped with a commercial kitchen, outdoor gathering area, and seating for approximately 150 people. The new fire station also improves daily operations with expanded apparatus bays, space for larger trucks, dedicated turnout gear storage, improved drainage that allows vehicles to be washed indoors during the winter, and a site layout that enables emergency vehicles to idle without disrupting traffic.
Walking Gently on Mother EarthA strong commitment to sustainability shaped every aspect of the project, from material selection to energy performance. A materials ethic established a clear set of values to guide every design and construction decision by asking whether materials were natural, local, recyclable or renewable, and minimizing the use of petroleum based products. Reflecting the Nation's aspiration to "walk gently on Mother Earth," the building incorporates a 100 kW solar array, ten 400 foot geothermal wells, radiant floor heating in the apparatus bays, and abundant natural daylight to reduce energy consumption. Designed to produce as much renewable energy as it uses annually, Tsha’thoñswatha’ achieves the Nation's vision for a Net Zero Energy facility.
