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Southwest Public Safety Center
Detroit, Michigan

The team’s goal was to change the design psychology of a typical municipal building; introverted masonry buildings with minimal glazing, by providing a facility that seamlessly blends police and fire services under one roof and extends them transparently to the public in an open, inviting setting.

THE PROJECT
Two miles outside of downtown Detroit, a dynamic and densely populated neighborhood communicated an urgent need for public safety improvements within the community. The project looked to replace outdated public safety facilities with a new development that would bring joint services directly to the people. After years of providing substandard police and fire station environments, the City offered hope to the district by providing the first new public safety project in over 25 years. The design team was challenged to come up with a modern and effective solution that would lead the way for joint service facilities provided in the future.

COMMITMENT TO A COMMUNITY
The City’s community commitment directly influenced the design goal:
To develop a facility that seamlessly blends police and fire services under one roof and extends them transparently to the public in an open inviting setting. The result was an extroverted, efficient, 62,000 square foot project that emphasizes the center as an urban community centerpiece that instills pride and confidence in local residents.

DESIGN FOR A COMMUNITY
The result was a strong building form with a simple parti – police program to the east, nearest the main public entry, the fire apparatus room to the west, with visual access from the street to the vehicles and shared programming. The public lobby and community rooms link the two sides and present a transparent public volume to the street. The metal panel system is lightweight and efficient, while the strength of the overall form conveys a sense of stability and permanence. Color-tinted glass represents police and fire; but more importantly, it’s expressive of the district’s rich Latino culture, which is locally recognized for bold, festive murals and art work.

The community mission for the new facility led to the concept of a generous public lobby space that would contain a ‘retail style’ interface bringing public safety officials and residents together in an open setting. The lobby would also be suitable for supporting public safety events. To facilitate this goal, the program also contained a multi-purpose room that would act as an extension of the lobby during events that could also be utilized for community group meetings. Furthering the extension of services to residents is the municipal parking department’s payment center and an office dedicated to a community liaison.

The site is strategically located near the intersection of two major neighborhood arterials and an interchange to the interstate expressway system, maximizing the access to the immediate neighborhood and beyond. Pedestrians have equally convenient access from the street and the on-site parking. A raised, broad lawn space along the main street gives the lobby area a landscaped foreground, while providing a visually understated security barrier. Standard requirements for the station included administrative offices, conference rooms, locker and shower rooms, evidence and property rooms, a four-lane firing range, fire and EMS apparatus room, commercial kitchen, dining area, instructional training and fitness rooms and a dormitory.

Additionally, this projects uniqueness lies in its bold, fresh, optimistic and contemporary architecture; rarely achieved on municipal projects in severely budget challenged communities.