Location: 
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Total Square Feet: 32,063
Construction Period: June 1999 to July 2000

Construction Team
General Contractor: International Contractors, Inc. - 977 South Route 83, Elmhurst, IL 60126
Structural Engineer: Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, & Associates - 8501 West Higgins Road, Chicago, IL 60631
Electrical & Mechanical Engineer: FGM Architects & Engineers - 1211 West 22nd Street, Oak Brook, IL 60521
Landscape Architect: Martin Design - 65 North River Lane, #201, Geneva, IL 60134
Cost Estimator: International Contractors, Inc. - 977 South Route 83, Elmhurst, IL 60126

The new Arlington Heights Fire Station No. 2 serves as the home to the Department's Administrative and Training Headquarters and also replaces an outmoded and undersized satellite fire station in the area. The station is sited on one of the few open sites left in this mature community, and is located on the main North/South thoroughfare in the village.

Accommodating this 32,063-square-foot building on a 1.32 acre site with a 10-foot elevation change from east to west proved to be a considerable challenge. The client desired a fire station with drive-through apparatus bays dictating slopes not to exceed three percent to meet the clearance requirements of the vehicles. This resulted in a 10-foot high concrete retaining wall along the entire western edge of the site. Storm water detention requirements were met by the construction of concrete cisterns buried beneath the parking areas. The site is in a transition area surrounded by both single family residences and professional buildings. Exterior appearance and landscaping were important considerations, and the project was subject to the village appearance commission review.

In order to accommodate the necessary square footage on the tight site, the building was designed on three levels. All emergency response and residential functions were placed on the main level. Residential quarters contain semi private bunkrooms for 13 male and female firefighters as well as generous space for dayroom, kitchen and dining areas. The administrative offices and large training room are located on the second floor reached through a two story public atrium. The lower level houses a large exercise room, storage space, mechanical equipment and unprogrammed expansion area.

The building structure consists of a steel frame with metal decking and concrete topping. Exterior walls are brick and block cavity wall. The main building roof system is wood truss, and the apparatus bays have a steel roof structure with wood trusses on top forming a false roof around the mechanical units. The mechanical system is a variable air volume system with rooftop air handlers and a boiler on the lower level. A natural gas fired emergency generator services the entire building. A state of the art energy management system is utilized to control the HVAC system. Voice and data communications are distributed to all areas of the building. 

The apparatus bays are serviced by specialized mechanical systems including direct vehicle exhausts and gas fired infrared heating. Compressed air, water and power cables are distributed overhead to the apparatus. A quartz aggregate floor pitches to trench drains located below the vehicles.

Manufacturers/Suppliers
Exterior Walls - Brick: Belden Brick Company; Entrances & Storefronts: Kawneer; Metal Doors & Frames: Curries; Special Doors: Overhead Doors; Wood & Plastic Windows: Pella.
Roof - Shingles: GAF; Coal Tar: Allied Signal.Floors - VCT: Johnsonite, Armstrong; Carpet: Harbringer, Lees, J&J; Tile: Dal-Tile, Graniti Fiandre; Epoxy: Artlow Systems.
Interior Walls - Drywall: Georgia Pacific; Ceilings: Armstrong, Tectum; Wood Doors: VT Industries; Hardware: Schlage, LCN; Paint: Benjamin Moore; Partitions: Accurate Partitions.