Hamilton County 911
The 911 Center was designed to consolidate the City and County Emergency Management and 911 Services. The building had to complement the existing city service campus, protect a mature oak tree, provide an open, day-lit work environment, and accommodate future growth, all while maintaining security during times of crisis.
The heart of the building is the 911 Call Center and the Emergency Operations Center “war room”. Both spaces use raised floors for underfloor cabling and incorporate mezzanine level supervisory spaces. The 911 Call Center features north facing glazing in a sawtooth band across the building front to bring natural light into the space without impairing visibility of computer monitors. The Emergency Operations Center features a situation wall and provisions for audio/visual presentation and emergency briefing. Both spaces are visible from the public lobby through bullet proof glass. Additional spaces in the building include offices and conference rooms, training rooms, and bunkhouse type sleeping quarters for emergency personnel with lockers, showers, and provision for cooking.
Outside, the precast concrete facade relates to the rest of the city service campus and provides the necessary robustness to survive natural disasters. The L-shaped plan connects to the existing Police Service Center and encloses a courtyard featuring a 50 year old oak tree. The public entrance and sawtooth daylighting face the street while the staff entrance is from secure parking through the courtyard.
