The City Miami Beach and the design team took a multifaceted approach to creating a new LEED Gold Building for the Miami Beach Community. In doing so, it achieved the highest number of points (65) available in the LEED rating system for energy performance for Gold certification. Fire Station No. 1 prioritized storm resilience by elevating the apparatus bay well above base flood elevation. All ground floor spaces are wet or dry flood proofed and flood vents are implemented on all wet flood proofed areas.
Fire Station No. 1 has permanently installed building-level energy meters that account for all sources of energy delivered to the building by an external provider. The project owner commits to providing energy consumption data to USGBC. Fire Station 1 does not include any CFC-based refrigerants in any new mechanical cooling or refrigeration equipment serving the project.
The station implements various strategies to produce water efficiency which includes reducing outdoor water compensation by 52%, irrigating reclaimed water and Florida friendly plants that require less watering. To support water management and identify opportunities for additional water savings, the building has permanent water meters that measure the total potable water use for the building and associated grounds. Fire Station No. 1 operates with 2 meters: one for domestic water, and one for the irrigation system. Both cover 100% of the water used for each subsystem.
In conclusion, Miami Beach Fire Station No. 1 is designed and constructed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for new construction. The Fire Station demonstrates environmental responsibility, guaranteed energy efficiency, water efficiency and promotes healthy interiors and resiliency for future fire fighters.
Sustainability Narrative:
Fire Station No. 1 was designed to achieve maximum energy performance. Whole-Building Energy Simulation was used to assess and maximize the buildings energy efficiency while maintaining full effectiveness in response capability. SEQUIL Systems Inc. was hired as the project’s commissioning authority to verify the systems specified in the owner’s project requirements, basis of design, and construction documents are installed and operating as intended. The project meets mandatory requirements of Ashrae90.1-2010 and achieved substantial improvements in energy performance. Fire Station No. 1 has permanently installed building-level energy meters that account for all sources of energy delivered to the building by an external provider. The project owner commits to providing energy consumption data to USGBC. Fire Station No. 1 does not include any CFC-based refrigerants in any new mechanical cooling or refrigeration equipment serving the project. SEQUIL Systems Inc. provided Enhanced Commissioning services which verifies the submittals and incorporates reviewing HVAC submittals, assisting in owner training, and providing a 10-month warranty visit. Refrigerants in HVAC&R systems minimize or eliminate the emission of compounds that contribute to ozone depletion and climate change.
Water
Fire Station No. 1 implements the following strategies for water efficiency: to reduce outdoor water consumption by 52%, irrigation provided uses reclaimed water and Florida friendly plants that require less watering. To reduce indoor water consumption, low flow fixtures are implemented, multiple water metering and submetering strategies are used and data sharing with USGBC over a 5-year period is employed. All eligible newly installed fixtures and fittings are water sense labeled. To support water management and identify opportunities for additional water savings, the building has permanent water meters that measure the total potable water use for the building and associated grounds. Fire Station No. 1 operates with 2 meters: one for domestic water, and one for the irrigation system. All of them cover 100% of the water used for each subsystem.
Structure
Fire Station No. 1 is composed of post tension floor slabs with deep pile foundation, CMU and metal framed walls, and a color integrated/sealed stucco, ground face block façade to resist the (often wet) Florida weather conditions and reduce the need for repainting. The form of the building lifts the program (apparatus bay, living spaces) well over sea level, increasing the efficiency of a small site, and providing parking beneath the building for staff. The project team included strategies to increase the natural ventilation of the building based on site conditions utilizing the building form. The design team provided enough openings on the east and west facade to induce natural ventilation in the apparatus bay. According to the psychrometric chart, the project has great potential to use thermal mass and night ventilation and internal heat gains to achieve thermal comfort without any mechanical assistance. The project team utilized concrete with high thermal inertia so the project can be thermally comfortable without electricity in case of an emergency even though this essential facility has full generator backup for the entire building. In the case of heatwaves and power outage during winter, the project form can supply heat via thermal inertia.
Light
Fire Station No. 1 utilizes natural filtered lighting, and smart lighting solutions to light the building as well as to enhance the experience of the users in the space. The project has installed lighting controls for 100% of occupant spaces to promote occupants’ productivity, comfort, and well-being as they learn, work, and play in their respective areas of the building. To give building occupants a connection to the natural outdoor environment, approximately 82% of regularly occupied spaces within the building have access to quality views to the outside. Additionally, dorm rooms and living spaces have vacancy sensors, override switches, and dimmers to ensure personal comfort. The design team made efforts to reduce heat island effect of the sun on paved and roofing surfaces by using reflective roofing and low-e reflective coatings on all glazing components as well as louvers to filter light as mentioned above.
Indoor Air Quality
Fire Station No. 1 implements the following strategies to improve Indoor Air Quality: To contribute to the comfort and well-being of building occupants, the project meets the requirements of ASHRAE standard 62.1-2010. The project seeks to minimize exposure of building occupants, indoor surfaces, and ventilation air distribution systems to environmental tobacco smoke. Smoking is prohibited inside and outside the project building. The no-smoking policy applies to spaces outside the property line used for business purposes. To promote occupants’ comfort, well-being, and productivity, the project included the following IAQ strategies: entryway systems, interior cross-contamination prevention where hazardous gases or chemicals may be present or utilized and mechanical ventilation filtration. To reduce concentrations of chemical contaminants that can damage air quality, the team selected products with reduced concentrations of contaminants by using paints and coatings with Low VOC -- meeting limits of the SCAQMD Rule 1113, Interior adhesives and sealants meeting VOC limits of SCAQMD Rule 1168, and the Composite Woods meeting the CARB ATCM for ultra-low emitting formaldehyde and General Emissions Evaluations. The project implemented a construction indoor air quality management plan that exceeded SMACNA IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Building under construction. Specific to the apparatus bays and under building parking areas, carbon monoxide sensors connected to exhaust systems vacate any accumulation of apparatus fumes in the garage areas.
Resilience
Fire Station No. 1 prioritized storm resilience by elevating the apparatus bay well above base flood elevation. All ground floor spaces are wet or dry flood proofed and flood vents are implemented on all wet flood proofed areas. The building can also operate indefinitely on generator backup in the event of power failure during a storm event. Environmental stewardship for community resilience was exemplified in other ways as well. Considering climate change and rising global temperatures, parts of the existing building including the existing canopies and columns are repurposed in the form of pavilions along the sidewalk for public use. Reflective roofing material and landscape surfacing also contribute to a reduction in the overall heat island effect on site. Great effort was taken to preserve the existing landscape including Green Buttonwood, Mahogany, and Tamarind trees. Trees that must be removed will be transplanted to other locations throughout the city. The Flamingo Park neighborhood is notoriously prone to flooding, and for that reason, level 1 was raised to 12 ft. above grade, while much of the program (including the apparatus bay) was built on level 2 for added resilience to rising sea levels and tropical storms.
