It is a fire station located on the edge of Houten. Fire Station Houten sits in allotments along the De Kruisboog road, an awesome area where the architecture of the allotments become the main inspiration for Jeanne Dekkers Architectuur. With an emphasis on detail, wood and transparent materials are translated into the building in a contemporary manner.
Materials
Wood and transparent materials from the architecture of greenhouses are used to design this building. The reference to the name of the building – Houten – is not coincidental entirely because Houten is wooden in Dutch. The work of this fire station becomes visible by the use of transparent materials. The building is robust, despite the fragile nature of the cladding material. It expresses the fire brigade’s ruggedness.
Structure
This station has a simple program that resulted in a clear design based on logistics. There is a timber supporting structure with black recycled plastic and double walls of transparent plastic sheets. These materials make the building easy to rebuild if necessary.
Design
The simple beauty design is not only attractive but also extremely durable and sustainable. With sober and clean detailing, the choice of the use of recycled plastic and wood can create significant savings in material expenses and usage. The building is not permanently in use so the architect develops optimized and clean energy management for this project.
Fire Station Houten Gallery
Photography: Jeanne Dekkers Architectuur