Orlando, Fla. –
Designed and built by McCree General Contractors & Architects as an
eco-friendly prototype for five City of Orlando
fire stations, Fire Station #7 was recently recognized as Florida’s first LEED-Gold
station. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a U.S. Green
Building Council accreditation registration. Gold represents one of the highest
levels of certification awarded.
“Receiving a LEED-Gold certification
is an honor,” said Richard McCree Jr., CEO/President of the design-build firm.
“We design our structures to co-exist with local ecosystems and reflect the
forward-thinking, environmentally conscious mentality of the people of
Orlando.”
The 11,530-square-foot
facility is equipped with offices, a classroom, triage area, medical equipment
storage room, bunkrooms, exercise area, showers, dayroom, and full-scale
commercial kitchen. The drive-through apparatus bays can handle any of the
City’s vehicles for added flexibility in citywide emergencies. The station will
also serve as an emergency command post during hurricanes, which required the
structural design to exceed building code minimums.
Fire Station #7 has
low-flow plumbing fixtures and shower heads, a weather-station irrigation
controller and drip irrigation maximized water efficiency. Carbon dioxide
monitors, low odor-emitting paints and other materials provide a healthier
atmosphere for firefighters. High-efficiency air-conditioning and electrical
fixtures make it 18 percent more energy efficient than most new buildings. The
majority of construction materials had a high recycled content, and 97 percent
of the construction waste was recycled.
“We are
proud to be leading the state in the construction of LEED-certified fire
stations,” stated Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “With the expertise
of McCree Construction, we have completed five stations and now the first
LEED-Gold Fire Station in Florida.” |