Walls & Ceilings Architect/October 2007

Certified T he City of San Diego is setting an example for green building by implementing eco-friendly design, construction methods and products such as steel framing to meet LEED Silver Certified requirements for municipal buildings. A prime example, Pacific Highlands Ranch Fire Station 47, is currently under construction in a burgeoning residential development in suburban San Diego. It has been designed to standards that make it eligible to become the ﬁ rst ﬁ re station in the city to be LEED Silver certified. (The rating had not yet been awarded at the time of writing.) “Pacific Highlands Ranch Fire Station 47 is an outstanding example of eco-friendly construction, strong community building focus and suitable amenities,” said Larry Gleason, a facilities maintenance officer for the City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. Plans for t he 10, 50 0 - squa re foot facility were made to suit 11 personnel by including individual sleeping quarters and living amenities, three drive-through apparatus bays, an exercise room, a locker room and more. Silver Steel Framing helps Paciﬁc Highlands Ranch Fire Station gain green LEED designation By Patrick Wallis Knowing the standard requirements of any new municipal building, such as energy efﬁciency and structural integrity, Gleason had one additional necessity for this ﬁre station. “I asked the architect to build it as if we were building a fraternity house that needs to stand at least 50 years,” Gleason said. “Because in all seriousness, it has to be a tough building inside and out to handle the work ﬁ reﬁghters do.” provide the best results for this client, Salts and STK Architecture’s LEED AP Project Manager Christina Grade presented a cost/beneﬁt analysis that clearly displayed the numerous beneﬁts of steel framing for both municipal and green buildings. For example, steel framing is a 100 percent recyclable material, requires less overall building material and labor, and opens the door to earn more LEED credits. Salts and Grade recommended and used Dynastructure, a cold-formed steel framing system manufactured by Allied Tube & Conduit in nearby Ranch Cucamonga, Calif. An innovative tubular framing system with integrated stud and track, the system facilitates fast, cost-efﬁcient, and earthquake and ﬁ re-resistant structural installations of essential, school, franchise, retail and other facilities. STEEL FRAMES THE WAY FOR SILVER The building’s future tenants initially requested a masonry structure, but were open to suggestions that would lead to an increase in LEED points. As an experienced architect, G.V. Salts, owner of STK Architecture in Temecula, Calif., ﬁ rmly grasps the importance of “greenness” and durability. He has designed more than 50 fire stations in California and thus understands the special needs and restrictions associated with constructing municipal buildings. To STEEL BRINGS STRENGTH AND SPEED The components of the recommended framing system were precision 8 | Walls & Ceilings Architect | October 2007 Photo Credit: STK Architecture Inc.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Walls & Ceilings Architect/October 2007

Contents Trade News Silver Certiﬁed Airtight The Men of Steel Thinking Thermal Firestop 101 ICFs Create a Tight Envelope The Finish Line The Green Thumb Cracking the Code

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