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One city, two fire stations

CNH Architects worked closely with the City of Plymouth to simultaneously update Fire Station #3 and design a brand new Fire Station #2.

Fire Station #2

CNH designed a two-story fire station for the City of Plymouth Fire Department to replace an older station on the same site. The 30,100 sf new facility is being repositioned to allow for better and faster road access, improving firefighter response times. As firefighter health and safety are a top priority in this project, gear will have its own room separate from apparatus bays to keep it clean and contaminant free. There is also separation between the apparatus/decontamination areas and the residence and administrative areas to reduce toxin transmission. A larger dayroom and kitchen better suited to meet the department’s needs provides relaxation for firefighters. Training elements include a hose drying tower that doubles as a training tower with several different styles of openings to be filled with smoke, and a mezzanine with additional styles of training openings.

Project Challenge

Locating room for the building on site with improved road access while keeping it the right size in order for the existing building to stay operational required maintaining a restrictive building separation between new and old while also navigating the site’s well house and significant elevation changes. CNH worked to fit all required elements into the new building by creating a split level facility with separate entrances for staff and public. Construction will be phased to keep the existing facility operational until the new building can become operational and the existing building can be torn down.

Fire Station #3

CNH designed an addition for Fire Station #3 as well as a remodel for the entire station, covering 26,000 sf. Water intrusion caused mold and unhealthy conditions making many areas unusable for the department. CNH addressed this issue in the addition while expanding the dayroom and kitchen and separating turnout gear from the apparatus bays to keep it clean and contaminant free. Additional separation was created between this storage and dorms and administrative areas to better suit the department’s needs and promote better relaxation. Residential areas were moved to the first floor for safety and to improve response times. Training features at the station include a basement training maze that can be setup in a variety of ways and filled with smoke for simulation drills, and a small training mezzanine with training openings.

Project Challenge

Significant water intrusion issues caused several areas of the basement to become unusable. This created a challenge of designing the new addition in a manner that allowed for the building’s required programming to work with good flow and for the water intrusion areas to be addressed at minimal cost and impact to the overall budget and construction of the project. Construction will also be phased in order to keep the facility fully operational.


Headquartered in Apple Valley, MN – CNH Architects, Ltd. is a creative, service-oriented firm that provides innovative design solutions for the commercial building and retail areas, public sector clients, vehicle facility projects, daycare and animal care facilities. CNH Architects has served clients in the Twin Cities and Upper Midwest since 1969.

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One city, two fire stations

CNH Architects worked closely with the City of Plymouth to simultaneously update Fire Station #3 and design a brand new Fire Station #2.

Fire Station #2

CNH designed a two-story fire station for the City of Plymouth Fire Department to replace an older station on the same site. The 30,100 sf new facility is being repositioned to allow for better and faster road access, improving firefighter response times. As firefighter health and safety are a top priority in this project, gear will have its own room separate from apparatus bays to keep it clean and contaminant free. There is also separation between the apparatus/decontamination areas and the residence and administrative areas to reduce toxin transmission. A larger dayroom and kitchen better suited to meet the department’s needs provides relaxation for firefighters. Training elements include a hose drying tower that doubles as a training tower with several different styles of openings to be filled with smoke, and a mezzanine with additional styles of training openings.

Project Challenge

Locating room for the building on site with improved road access while keeping it the right size in order for the existing building to stay operational required maintaining a restrictive building separation between new and old while also navigating the site’s well house and significant elevation changes. CNH worked to fit all required elements into the new building by creating a split level facility with separate entrances for staff and public. Construction will be phased to keep the existing facility operational until the new building can become operational and the existing building can be torn down.

Fire Station #3

CNH designed an addition for Fire Station #3 as well as a remodel for the entire station, covering 26,000 sf. Water intrusion caused mold and unhealthy conditions making many areas unusable for the department. CNH addressed this issue in the addition while expanding the dayroom and kitchen and separating turnout gear from the apparatus bays to keep it clean and contaminant free. Additional separation was created between this storage and dorms and administrative areas to better suit the department’s needs and promote better relaxation. Residential areas were moved to the first floor for safety and to improve response times. Training features at the station include a basement training maze that can be setup in a variety of ways and filled with smoke for simulation drills, and a small training mezzanine with training openings.

Project Challenge

Significant water intrusion issues caused several areas of the basement to become unusable. This created a challenge of designing the new addition in a manner that allowed for the building’s required programming to work with good flow and for the water intrusion areas to be addressed at minimal cost and impact to the overall budget and construction of the project. Construction will also be phased in order to keep the facility fully operational.


Headquartered in Apple Valley, MN – CNH Architects, Ltd. is a creative, service-oriented firm that provides innovative design solutions for the commercial building and retail areas, public sector clients, vehicle facility projects, daycare and animal care facilities. CNH Architects has served clients in the Twin Cities and Upper Midwest since 1969.

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BURNSVILLE FIRE STATION NO. 1

CNH’s largest fire station to date, the City of Burnsville’s Fire Station No. 1 is home to a crew of all full-time firefighters and more than 44,000 SF with 10 apparatus bays. Firefighter safety was one of nine top priorities for the station. Multiple contamination zones and a designated de-contamination area will allow firefighters to keep contaminated equipment and clothing in the apparatus bay until decontaminated. Another priority in the design was firefighter mental health. A warning system that slowly ramps up with alert tones and lighting while only alerting responding staff ensures firefighters are not awoken in an abrupt manner. The station includes areas for relaxation with different lighting to promote natural sleep rhythms, as well as a yoga studio and meditation garden. Extensive firefighter training features including Firefighter 1 and advanced training elements are another highlight of the station.