Fire Station 67 —- Orange County, CA
Fire Station 67 is a direct response to the California wildfire crisis. Built off site and delivered in a single day, the prefabricated steel cubes are designed for modularity, speed, and resilience.
Prefabricated off-site and assembled from 10 modules, the 4,667-square-foot fire station is a modular design with the ability to reconfigure the structure into something new in the future.
The Rienda Interim Fire Station sits on Cow Camp Road, next to Rancho Mission Viejo’s ranching operations.
The open-air apparatus bay also serves as a multi-use space—sheltering the fire trucks while also providing an airy outdoor pavilion for exercise equipment, gatherings, and events.
By designing for offsite fabrication and rapid assembly, Wittman Estes streamlined the design, documentation, and permitting process so construction could begin less than a year after the design process began.
The firetruck red color can be seen from a distance, signaling it’s function, extenuating its form, and serving as a beacon to the community.
A steel trellis welcomes the visitor and draws them into the heart of the building underneath the large illuminated red letters.
12’ wide modules and 30’ long steel trusses create a rhythm of steel and aluminum. Steel is tough and non-combustible, and the most efficient structural material from a weight to strength ratio.
The active bay where the firetrucks are parked and maintained is painted with a bright red, mimicking the flurry of activity that happens in the bay.
A kit of parts is prefabricated offsite and shipped for rapid installation.
Fire Station 67 will be re-purposed and given a second life in ten years when it will become an environmental learning center for Rancho Mission Viejo, California.
Design Team: Matt Wittman, Ana Maria Pinto da Silva, Brandon Patterson, Julia Frost, Birsel+Seck