Boothville-Venice Fire Station

DonahueFavret was selected to build a new fire station to service the Boothville-Venice area of south Louisiana after the original station was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. The new station used a Structural Concrete Insulated Panel (SCIP) system, which was revolutionary in this part of the country. The SCIP panels are “stitched” together and covered with concrete on both sides to form an incredibly strong building. Other benefits of this system are its energy efficiency and fire resistance. The station was designed and built to withstand Category 3 hurricanes. The finishes on the first floor level are all easily maintained and are designed to withstand flood waters. The apparatus bay doors have glass panels to maximize daylight when doors are closed, improving the energy efficiency of the building. The facility also boasts an electric generator capable of running the entire facility should the area lose power. The generator is positioned on a concrete platform 22 feet in the air, keeping it out of harm’s way in any future storm surges. The main room upstairs also acts as a community center with a kitchen and beverage area. The community can reserve the room for local functions or use it as a media room as it did during cleanup efforts from the BP oil catastrophe. During construction, a rain squall spawned a tornado that hit the structure, destroying scaffolding and blowing out panels. The project was temporarily delayed while materials were re-ordered and the site was cleaned up.