Calgary Fire Station 16 and Calgary Fire Department Headquarters

Calgary’s Fire Department Headquarters (FDHQ) is a 2.33 hectare site located in an industrial area of the city at the intersection of 11th and 11A streets. A master plan of the site, prepared by IBI Group, determined that the existing 45,400 sq. ft. Fire Station No. 16 (the current Fire Department Headquarters) would be renovated, and a new, three-storey, 50,000 sq. ft. Department Headquarters, and a 17,400 sq. ft. storage facility would be constructed.

The CFD campus environment needed to provide a place where different branches of the CFD could co-exist in close proximity while allowing for flexible growth. The campus would consolidate the major administrative groups of the fire department, while providing ongoing service to the community and the public through the active Fire Station No. 16, as well as the Firefighters’ Museum and Wellness Centre.

The three buildings surround a central plaza that serves as a focal point for new public access into the campus from 11th Street SE. This Memorial Plaza, also designed by IBI, is a green space that celebrates the CFD’s heritage, and will host various CFD and media events, and provide an amenity area for staff and visitors. The reimagined plaza and landscaping elements pay homage to the architectural heritage of the original Fire Station No. 1, effectively connecting the CFD’s past, present and future.

Prior to redevelopment, the site surface was a mixture of pavement and gravel and contained a number of buildings and permanent structures. IBI was retained to redesign the site and bring the stormwater management up to City of Calgary Standards, while utilizing existing infrastructure as much as possible.