Civic Facilities
Contents 01
BRW
02 03 04 05
Recreation Facilities
06
Libraries
07
Fire Stations
08
Service Centers
09
Municipal Offices & Courts
10
Music & Performance Halls
11
Parks & Nature Centers
12
Feasibility Studies & Assessments
City Halls Active Adult Centers Public Safety Facilities
01 Our team of civic facility specialists are dedicated to creating buildings that shape our communities for future generations. At BRW, we understand the connection between architecture and society by designing functional and flexible spaces that also capture the spirit of the community and meet the operational needs of the communities we serve. Our civic design process stems from over 35 years of history and experience.
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02
Recreation Facilities
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Recreation Facilities Recreational facilities cultivate a cohesive community and respond to the importance of social interaction. Inclusive by design, they address a range of sport and leisure activities, fitness and wellness offerings, as well as educational programs for all ages and cultures. Providing positive and healthy activities in a welcoming environment improves community cohesiveness by keeping residents informed, educated, engaged and healthy. Recreation centers of the past have evolved into flexible, holistic community centers providing space for a wide array of services. Today, a single community center may consist of meeting spaces, a library branch, childcare zones, teen clubs, classroom environments for art and continuing education programs. They may also contain athletic space, areas for senior activities and therapeutic aquatics. This shift demands spatial and technological flexibility and adds complexity to facility design. Creating spaces that optimize the efficiency of programs minimizes the amount of time that space goes unused. Features such as moveable walls facilitate quick turn-over between programs. Interactive video projection and audio headphones allow programming to occur in acoustically open spaces. The needs of each community are unique and call for creative solutions that maximizes the benefits for residents and provide an excellent return on investment.
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PROJECT White Rock YMCA LOCATION Dallas, Texas SIZE 37,300 SF (New Construction)
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03
City Halls
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City Halls Historically known to be grandiose in stature and ornate in design, city halls represent the ideals in which cities are built. As structures, they facilitate the complex tasks that keep a community running day-in and day-out and are a physical manifestation of the relationship between local government, area businesses, residents, and visitors. Many cities and towns look to their city halls to be the nerve center of the community. City halls are becoming more human and neighborly; spaces where elected officials and citizens converge. Representative of how a city functions, these spaces should embrace the public. A one-stop-shop for city services, city halls provide a tangible connection with the past while meeting today’s municipal needs. Modern trends in Civic design call for the inclusion of flexible spaces intended to incorporate community programs, exhibits, libraries, performances, and a host of other cultural programs. Sustainable design initiatives allow for a socially responsible, nonpolluting and cost-efficient public building. Designing for minimal maintenance is achieved by efficiently laid out spaces, self-monitoring mechanical and lighting systems, durable low maintenance materials, adequate daylighting, and water saving plumbing fixtures.
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Active Adult Centers
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Active Adult Centers The abundance of senior adult programs offered by municipalities supports the underlying desire for independence and social engagement of our older population. Active Adult Centers provide an increasing array of programs, services, and amenities, and must be designed to reflect generational and cultural needs, changing values and ever-advancing technology to remain relevant. Today’s active adults range in age from 50 to 100 years old. With a 40-year age span, facility design must respect the needs and physical abilities of two generations. Patrons should never feel excluded from comfortably participating in activities because of design inadequacies. While crafts and card-playing may be of primary interest to one sub-set, aquatics and fitness programs may be more important to another. While fitness areas have very specific requirements, classrooms, meeting spaces and multi-media rooms can be more flexible. User security and safety are of paramount concern for all public facilities, and active adult centers, in particular . A central control point and a limited number of entries provide for patron safety as well as ease of use and wayfinding. Monitoring activities through line-of-sight provides security and reduces staffing requirements. Versatile finishes, acoustics, adjustable lighting, slip-resistant flooring, and flexible audio/visual and technology systems are all considerations in these multi-function facilities. Today’s seniors are aware that diet, exercise, continuing education and social engagement have a direct effect on mental acuity and wellbeing. It is important to the health of a community to respond to needs and desires of their aging population.
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PROJECT The Hilltop Active Adult Center LOCATION Mont Belvieu, Texas SIZE 12,240 SF (New Construction)
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Public Safety Facilities
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Public Safety Facilities Today’s police stations are complex structures, designed to respond to current threats and technology, yet able to adapt as conditions evolve. At their simplest, they provide space to support the efforts of those sworn to protect and serve. Once windowless bunkers, modern public safety buildings are bastions of civic pride and symbols of strength and security. Designed for more than just utility, these facilities address the needs and wellness of those who work within their walls. While every Police Department handles day-to-day operations differently, factors such as occupant security, structural hardening, and property and equipment handling are universal. The new generation of law enforcement facilities takes into consideration image and identity, invisible security, and performance forward thinking with officer-oriented design. Community engagement has become a central focus and this desire to work with the community calls for a more inviting facility. Interior and exterior design elements such as lighting, durable materials, strategically placed windows, and landscaping present a sense of transparency for the community. In addition, increasing awareness of quality of life in terms of security and well-being call for a healthier workspace for department personnel. These comfortable state-of-the-art facilities are serving as recruiting tools, providing informal rest and recuperation areas and exercise rooms.
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PROJECT Richardson Police Headquarters LOCATION Richardson, Texas SIZE
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Libraries
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Libraries Once a place dedicated to silence and solitary study, today’s library is seen as an important component of a community’s well-being. Municipal libraries are essential institutions with deep roots in American life. Whether seeking self-enrichment, literacy support, meeting space or assistance finding bureaucratic forms, people rely on their community library for support in a vast array of social needs. Historically, the typical library configuration consists of a circulation desk, individual and group workspaces, and bookshelves in every direction. The modern library is anything but typical. Today, libraries offer creative ways to share a variety of spaces designed to address the diverse needs of the communities they serve. While still a repository for printed materials, libraries now house innovation zones and media creation studios. Managing digital resources and spreading digital fluency are new core responsibilities of the library system. The need for community gathering spaces remains essential and library design continues to evolve to provide access to resources and technology. Many public libraries incorporate special-use spaces such as job centers, genealogy rooms, digital cafes and meeting rooms featuring theater style and conference-style seating, as well as traditional spaces and programs for children and teens. Today’s libraries are not just about books - they are about people.
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07
Fire Stations
Fire Stations Fire Stations, with their distinct architectural elements, prominent locations, and reassuring presence, are symbols of civic pride. They are physical manifestations of a commitment to safety and are reflective of the character and history in the communities they serve. Fire stations are a unique blend of workplace and residence. Efficiency, particularly in respect to emergency response time, is a top priority. Sustainability, gender neutrality, and flexibility are also critical concerns. Fire Stations are also playing a more public role than they have in the past, especially in smaller communities, serving as a hub of local government activity such as voting, city council meetings and other community events. Today’s fire stations balance utility, aesthetics and service to the community. Many factors such as physical and mental health and sleep deprivation are also influencing the design of fire stations. As leaders in fire station design, we understand the importance of thoughtful design to reduce the exposure to carcinogens and harmful contaminants. Safety design standards include isolated decontamination areas and turnout gear storage located away from living quarters with separate decontamination shower rooms and transition airlocks to prevent harmful particles from entering the living spaces.
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PROJECT Richardson Fire Station No. 1 LOCATION Richardson, Texas SIZE 32,360 SF (New Construction)
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Service Centers
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Service Centers Today’s service centers incorporate more technology, security, environmental safety, and inventory control than ever. Taking a total facilities approach to work environment design enhances the work environment and results in improved productivity and retention of qualified employees. Adequate ventilation, natural light, appropriate task lighting, thermal comfort and ergonomic work area design are vital for a highly functional facility. Workflow optimization is a primary consideration for any municipal service center. While space planning focuses on sizing shop and maintenance environments for the tasks performed most frequently, the best facilities plan for flexibility. Considering workspace adjacencies, such as locating storage and critical support spaces close to work areas, maximizes efficiency by minimizing retrieval time. Adequate and convenient exterior spaces, storage and parking are important operational elements, while the use of durable materials and appropriate safety precautions reduce accidental damage and down time. Facility design that meets and exceeds expectations begins with thoughtful planning. Developing a comprehensive picture of service center operations is imperative and must consider not only current operations but anticipated functionality. The balance of work performed in-house versus outsourced tasks is subject to change as are future expansion in staffing, fleet and capabilities. Designing municipal service centers to accommodate future expansion without compromising efficiency offers the best return on investment.
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Municipal Offices & Courts
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Municipal Offices & Courts Municipal court facilities reflect the values of the local community, serving current and future generations of citizens. The decision to build a new Courts facility requires broad consensus and clear vision. Embarking upon the design of a new structure has potential to be an exciting experience for the entire community and allows local officials to reengage with their public. The benefits of the process often linger long after completion, with the structure serving as a physical manifestation of cooperation and civic pride. Today’s municipal courts facilities integrate multiple departments and functions into a single structure or complex. Serving as both civic and justice centers as a reassuring symbol of order, they must be public-friendly while performing a serious official function. Civic structures of this nature face specific design challenges as they seek to embrace customer relations through discrete security, technology, and the need for separate circulation patterns. Flexibility of space and the need for more meeting and conference rooms have become more commonplace. Municipal offices and courthouses have become more complex as safety concerns have heightened, yet the need for community accessibility remains at the forefront of design trends. The idea of transparency in justice can be achieved with stress mitigating elements like public spaces that allow for interaction and quiet reflection, daylighting, and advanced technology to assist with court services and wayfinding.
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Music & Performance Halls
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Music & Performance Halls Performing arts venues often fill a niche within a community that reaches well beyond the actual performance. Theater arts programs, and the facilities that house them, often play roles that stretch beyond their obvious purpose to entertain. They attract professional talent and provide an outlet for high-quality performances, creating a cultural richness within a community. The goal is to assist the performance emotionally and expressively. These complex facilities provide a vibrant center for performance and creative expression. While musicians and performance artists share many of the same special needs, great performance facilities balance the needs of the specific art form with architecture and acoustic reflections. Flexible acoustics and staging design can accommodate a variety of musical needs – ranging from large orchestras to small choral groups – in a single venue. Comprehensive space planning is the most critical consideration in performance facilities as the specific spatial requirements can present unique design challenges. Generous public areas, rehearsal spaces and storage need to be multi-functional and meet a variety of demands. Technical considerations, while fundamental to the design, can often be a major expenditure and require successful incorporation early in the programming process.
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Parks & Nature Centers
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Parks & Nature Centers Personal relationships and collaboration are vital to the design of exceptional parks and nature centers. Understanding the unique vision and intrinsic character associated with the site, as well as the agencies, community and patrons are paramount. Fostering a successful dynamic yields creative and innovative solutions that connect all involved to the natural environment. We admire clients who are driven by a purpose, because by serving them, our work has greater meaning. Our mission is to embrace your vision and produce impactful architecture that addresses your operational and community needs in a manner consistent with the city’s long-term goals. As a design team, we seek to create siteintegrated buildings that incorporate environmentally conscious materials, construction assemblies and technologies that yield sustainable and healthy environments. We are continually improving our knowledge of the latest developments in green technologies and best practices with a focus on low impact development, water retention for irrigation, and storm water capture. Public parks and nature centers reflect the value a community places on nature and people. Whether it is the visitor, the greater community, or the current custodians of the land, the goal of these amenities is to promote appreciation of the local ecosystems and an understanding of man’s impact on the environment.
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PROJECT Trinity River Audubon Center LOCATION Dallas, Texas SIZE 54 | Civic Facilities 20,975 SF (New Construction)
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Feasibility Studies & Assessments
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Feasibility Studies & Assessments Operational needs assessments and strategic planning of municipal facilities provides realistic projections and shapes future design decisions. Intermediate and long-term decision making depends on an informed, flexible plan. Recognizing the strategic plan as a living document, allowing it to evolve in sync with changing needs and conditions, is the key to success. A crucial first stem involves incorporating the needs assessment program with overall project goals, site and building conditions. If budget constraints do not allow implementation of the entire design, options will allow for phasing and future growth. Changing needs inevitably require modification as projects are implemented. As such, the purpose of the plan is to prevent short-term decisions from conflicting with long term goals. A strategic plan follows a thorough Needs Assessment, with reality-based concept designs aligning with the Owner’s schedule and budget. The proven components of successful Needs Assessments and Strategic Plans start with operational needs and goal setting, and ultimately end with a comprehensive master plan. Design methodology focusing on owner objectives and fostering a collaborative process is integral to program success. Every project needs a champion.
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Services Provided • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Architecture Space Programming Site Master Planning | Analysis Building Design Construction Documentation Interior Design Lighting Design Landscape Architecture Construction Administration Renovations | Additions Building Information Modeling (BIM) Sustainable Design (LEED) Needs Assessment Feasibility Study Existing Conditions Assessment Cost Evaluation Code Analysis Comprehensive Facility Study Furnishing Selection & Procurement Accessibility (ADA) Study
BRW has received more than 50 awards over the past three decades. To learn more about our civic projects, clients and awards, please visit:
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DALLAS 3535 Travis Street Suite 250 Dallas, TX 75204 214.528.8704
COLLEGE STATION 175 Century Square Drive, Suite 350 College Station, TX 77840 979.694.1791
HOUSTON 4501 Magnolia Cove Drive Suite 250 Houston, TX 77345 281.361.3800
SAN FRANCISCO 1620 Montgomery Street Suite 320 San Francisco, CA 94111 415.749.2670
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