Town of winchendon - winchendon, massachusetts

Schwartz/Silver collaborated with the Town of Winchendon, Massachusetts, to renovate and expand its existing fire station and headquarters. The project includes an 11,000-square-foot addition to the 6,000-square-foot building constructed in 1977. Key design challenges included substantially enlarging the structure while maintaining sensitivity to the residential context, modernizing the existing facilities to meet current safety standards, and redirecting public access to a new entrance along North Street.

The proposed design features full-size apparatus bays flanked by an administration wing with firefighter living quarters on one side and the existing fire station on the other. This layout establishes a critical connection between the new and the existing bays. The new public entrance is marked by a wood-fin tower, which, when illuminated from within, serves as a welcoming beacon for visitors in need of assistance. Both the new and existing fire station structures are clad in a vertical wood rainscreen, naturally treated to eliminate maintenance requirements. This exterior cladding enhances protection and insulation while creating a consistent visual relationship between the original and expanded structures.

The renovated fire station will house eight apparatus bays, new dedicated EMS facilities, firematic support and storage spaces, locker rooms, six firefighter bunkrooms, administrative and fire prevention offices, and a large training and community room. When not used for firefighter education, this space will serve as a versatile meeting room for the Town.