Sustainable Award

Name and Address of Submitting Firm:
Bazzani Associates

Name of Owner / Developer:
Hispanic Center of Western Michigan, 1204 Grandville Ave. SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Name of General Contractor / Construction Manager:
Bazzani Associates

The old brick building at the southeast corner of Hall Street and Grandville Avenue was built in the 1913 to serve as a fire station— Engine House No. 12—for the surrounding neighborhood. Abandoned by the Grand Rapids Fire Department in 1979, the building was threatened with demolition by the City until a group of neighborhood residents banded together to save it.

In 2006 the former fire station was completely rehabilitated. One of the mandates from the client was that the design and construction be sustainably guided and be a LEED certified project. The design goals were to create an energy efficient building, use environmentally friendly construction materials, and create a healthy indoor environment for the office workers and visitors alike.

We feel that re-using our existing building stock is an inherent form of sustainability. By reusing this historic structure we are not creating more landfill and are better able to use the existing infrastructure of the city. We were able to create a new sustainable home for the organization and give a beloved neighborhood icon new life.

As the project began one of the biggest challenges was the deteriorated state of the building. Through previous renovations the original fabric of the firehouse interior had been severely altered. It was also determined that the building had very little insulation in the walls and ceiling. With the energy goals in mind it was determined that the building needed to be stripped to the shell. The building was then super insulated with spray foam insulation and is now expected to use 42% less energy then the ASHRAE 99.1-2004 energy code.

Creating a healthy indoor environment for the occupants of the building was a main concern for the design team. Low VOC carpets, paints, wall finishes, caulks, adhesives, and composite woods were all selected for the project. Keeping a plentiful supply of fresh air was also critical to the project. All of the furnaces and the roof top unit have Energy Recovery Ventilators to reduce the energy impact of the incoming fresh air.

Managing stormwater is a major issue in our region. This is only the second zero-stormwater discharge site in the City of Grand Rapids. The first step to this goal was to increase the amount of pervious space in the project. We reduced the amount of asphalt paving by over 30%. All stormwater is collected on site, naturally filtered, and released to the water table on site through five rain gardens. This site has no connection to the municipal storm sewer.

The project was an amazing success for the organization and the community as a whole. The rehabilitation is a showcase of environmentally friendly design, and has received LEED-NC Gold certification. The former fire station has been given a new life and continues in a new capacity to serve the needs of the residents of Grand Rapids.