Fire station's stones are golden
Exterior of Botsford St. station was 10 per cent of total building cost
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF
The quarried stone exterior of Moncton's new Botsford Street fire station was probably the most expensive option available and represents about 10 per cent of the overall cost of $1.8 million, but will give the building a long-lasting stately appearance, the architect said yesterday.
The quarried-stone exterior of Moncton's new Botsford Street fire station was probably the most expensive option available and represents about 10 per cent of the overall cost of $2 million. "It's a very expensive product but the building was in such a prominent position that we wanted it to have a strong look," said Blair Roma, the Saint John architect who designed the building in conjunction with the builder, Rice Contracting of Moncton. "Fire stations have power and should be a building of strength."
That strength ended up costing about $200,000 or one-tenth of the building's overall pricetag of approximately $2 million when there were other less expensive products that could have been used.
Roma, who also designed the Riverview fire station and Moncton's Hildegard fire station, said the city's design proposals called for a either a brick or stone exterior. As a result, the design/build team proposed the use of quarried stone similar to the exterior of the nearby Moncton High School building, which was constructed in the early 1930s.
"A fire station should be part of the community and bear a resemblance to the rest of the neighbourhood."
Roma said he studied the MHS building extensively and borrowed some design elements when preparing plans for the fire station. The rough stone blocks vary in size and are mainly decorative, while the smooth stones around the windows are an integral part of the structure. He said the stones were individually cut and prepared at a quarry in Nova Scotia, trucked to the site and installed by skilled tradesmen from Acadia Bricklayers. Part of the decision to use the stone was that the building proposal called for a percentage of local materials.
The architectural beauty of quarried sandstone blocks can be seen in several older buildings in Downtown Moncton. A few downtown churches, including the landmark Assomption Cathedral on St. George Street, are built from sandstone. So is the historic Castle Manor on Mountain Road. Roma said the stones turn black over time, usually because of accumulated dirt. St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church underwent a cleaning and refit a few years ago, restoring the stone to its natural brown colour.
In recent years, builders have been criticized for erecting plain-looking buildings of concrete slabs and brick. In recent years, builders have used cultured stone, which provides the look of real stone at a lower price.
City of Moncton spokesman Paul Thompson said the city wanted to lead by example by providing an esthetically pleasing building at an important gateway to the downtown area from Highway 15. In its request for proposals (RFP), the city stipulated that the exterior of the building must be brick or stone, mainly for the insulation value and to present a dignified look and feel for the building.
He said the design had the lowest cost of several proposals submitted by different builders. Thompson said the stone also has insulating qualities which should result in lower heating and operating costs.
A Moncton retailer said yesterday that cut stone would cost around $14 per square foot, not counting installation cost, while cultured stone would be $10 to $13. Other alternatives are house stone and clay bricks which are in the $7 per square foot range. The popular vinyl siding ranges from $8 to $20 per square foot depending on the grade.
The new fire station is located on Botsford Street near the intersection of Wheeler Boulevard. It has been under construction throughout the summer and is scheduled to go into service sometime in September. It will replace the existing Assomption Boulevard fire station and become the headquarters of the Moncton Fire Department with a ladder truck, administration office and the chief's office.
The station was constructed under a design/build agreement between the city and Rice Contracting, which has built and renovated many buildings around Metro Moncton, including restaurants, hotels, churches, auto dealerships, government buildings and retail stores.
Moncton fire chief Eric Arsenault said he is pleased with the progress of construction and looking forward to moving in next month. He agreed the stone exterior was an expensive component of the building but accomplishes the goal of creating a landmark for the city. When the request for proposals went out in April of 2007, Arsenault said the goal was to create a building that was architecturally pleasing, not just a "plain square garage."
The city and the fire department have already taken heat from critics for the location of the station. It was built in a triangular-shaped lot where King and Botsford streets come to a point at the major intersection where Wheeler Boulevard connects to Highway 15 via the Hall's Creek traffic circle. Critics say the area will be just too busy and fire trucks could be held up in traffic. However, the city says the location will give the station quick access to Wheeler, Shediac Road and the downtown. The road connections have been widened to make more room for fire trucks, resulting in a change in traffic flow around the intersection. For example, cars travelling toward the downtown from Lewisville Road or coming off Highway 15 will no longer be able to swerve left onto King Street.
Arsenault said he is confident the location will provide trucks and fire crews with the mobility and access they require to do the job.
Roma said it was a challenge to design a building to fit into the relatively small lot.
The station was built with two large doors that create a drive-through truck bay between King and Botsford streets. This will allow trucks to exit from the Botsford Street side and return to quarters through the King Street doors.
Another striking feature of the building is the clock tower. Although it appears to be decorative, it is also functiona. The inside of the tower is equipped with special racks where fire hoses can be hung out to dain and dry. It could also be used for training firefighters in climbing and rappelling. Having a clock on the side was part of the city's original design idea.
Personal note - A fire station is a substantive civic building and in this particular case, this building will be the departmental headquarters and is located on a corner at a principle entrance to downtown. I don't think anyone should quibble over $200,000 for stonework for this building. Sure, aluminum or vinyl siding would be cheaper in the short run but I wager that this building will be gracing this corner for 80-100 years (if not longer). The stonework will help to ensure this building's longevity and posterity.
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