BRADFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY CENTER
This project consists of a brand-new facility to house a number of Bradford County Departments including the Community Planning & Mapping Services, the Bradford County Grants Department, the Emergency Management Agency, and 911 Communications. It is a two-story structure planned for the existing site where these departments reside. Overall project scope also includes a new Maintenance Facility for the County which is currently nearing completion on-site.
The new Public Safety facility will consist of advanced technology features throughout the building to facilitate communication and efficiency during an activation event. The Emergency Operations Center is capable of being transformed from an active work room to a 100-person lecture hall and demonstration area. Flexible furniture throughout the building was incorporated in order to utilize rooms for various tasks.
A vegetative roof will be a feature on a portion of the roof for patrons to make use of during the workday. The building is constructed with Precast Insulated Concrete Panels which not only form the exterior walls but also provide the necessary protection for a building of this nature. Solid and perforated metal panels are being incorporated throughout to bring the buildings aesthetics together.
This project posed many challenging designs for the site development, not only in design but also from permitting and utility coordination. The site design challenges began with limited area available for the new facilities while maintaining operations at the current building. The site was designed in a multi-phased approach to allow for all operation continue and improvements to be completed. The tiered site features a 17 ft site retaining wall, secured parking, a crash rated bollard system, landscaping design, parking areas, and utilities. Utility and agency coordination were highly involved with major utility relocations/extensions taking place for electrical, communication, water and natural gas services. This work required multiple meetings with the utility providers, easements and direct coordination with the utilities on service interruptions to keep the existing 911 operations office operational at all times. The project also included permitting and coordination with PennDOT to acquire property and obtain occupancy permits, as well as coordination with the township to obtain zoning approval.
Bradford County Public Safety Center VR Walkthrough
Client:
Bradford County
Location:
Towanda, PA
Scope:
Architecture
Site/Civil
Structural
MEP
Information Technology
Landscape Architecture