Creating a facility that serves both the Burnsville Police and City Hall is no small endeavor. It requires a delicate balance between security, aesthetic appeal, functionality and community integration. CNH Architects embarked on the project with a vision to not only meet the practical needs of the city but also to create a space that reflects the values of the Burnsville community. From innovative security solutions to intentional navigation, every aspect of this facility has been thoughtfully designed to ensure it stands as a symbol of distinction for decades to come. For full details, visit this blog post.
The reveal of Chaska, MN’s Public Safety facility is here! A lot of teamwork and collaboration has gone into this project, making this a milestone to feel proud of. There is more to come with this incredible facility.
CNH Architects and the City of Victoria are excited to reveal its fire station design, a project that addresses the city’s growing needs. The existing facility will be repurposed for other city functions, showcasing the city’s commitment to resourceful and sustainable development.
Inspiration
The architectural design of the new fire station draws from Victoria’s downtown aesthetics. The traditional style was chosen to honor the city’s history and community, creating a building that feels both familiar and respectful of its surroundings.
Functionality
A primary functional requirement for any fire station is optimizing the efficient flow of traffic. This was a top priority in the design process, allowing emergency vehicles to operate smoothly and effectively. A strong emphasis was placed on firefighter wellness as well. The station incorporates several health-centric features, including:
These features collectively ensure that the Victoria Fire Station not only meets operational needs but also supports the overall well-being of its firefighters.
Community Integration
The new fire station site preserves as many mature trees as possible, maintaining the natural beauty of the area. Public areas, including conference rooms and a main classroom, make the building accessible to the community. The design emphasizes public education, and a historical museum space (including the city’s original fire truck) invites the public to learn more about the city’s firefighting history.
Design Challenges
A challenge faced during the design process was the visibility of the building from all four sides. The challenge was multifaceted, with the tricky part being to position the building without conflicting with the utility easement, while avoiding significant grade issues, and to preserve as many existing mature trees as possible. This created a specific orientation, which required CNH Architects to ensure all sides of the building were thoughtfully designed with visual interest.
Technological Integration
Modern technology plays a crucial role in the new fire station, ensuring it meets today’s state-of-the-art standards and is prepared for future updates. This includes the integration of audio-visual systems throughout the building, allowing for the selection of any one of the numerous video data feeds on the dozens of video monitors throughout the station. These feeds include computer-aided dispatch displays, current weather updates, training content, and more.
Future-Proofing
CNH Architects planned for future needs by designing the building with potential expansions in mind. Additional apparatus bay space can be easily added beyond the existing south wall, and a command vehicle garage can be incorporated by converting part of the parking lot.
Collaboration
The collaboration between CNH Architects and the City of Victoria was marked by mutual respect and effective communication. City members appreciated how well the architects listened and incorporated their feedback into the design. This project was particularly special for Jess Harter, who played a significant role in the design process while working towards her official license as an architect. Her journey towards becoming a project leader highlights personal and professional growth.
The new Victoria Fire Station stands as a testament to thoughtful design, community integration, and forward-thinking planning, ensuring it will serve the city well for years to come.
Apple Valley is proud to unveil its Fire Station No. 2, an advanced facility which supports the firefighters who bravely serve the community. The station, designed by CNH Architects, is equipped with features and functionality that meet the needs of today while also considering flexible future planning. As with any well-designed fire station, the health of the firefighters was highly prioritized. View details on the blog.
Coon Rapids Fire Station No. 3 exemplifies innovation in health, safety, and efficiency. The facility is designed to meet the evolving needs of its community and firefighters, featuring advanced apparatus bays, comprehensive wellness amenities, and adaptable dorm suites. The station also includes unique elements like rooftop firework capabilities and a historical museum display, all while adhering to stringent safety and sustainability standards. This forward-thinking station design ensures that the building is well-equipped to serve both current and future generations.
CNH Architects designed a two-story fire station for the City of Plymouth Fire Department to replace an older station on the same site. The new facility will be 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 that can be filled with smoke, and a mezzanine with additional styles of training openings.
CNH Architects designed a two-story fire station totaling nearly 26,000 SF to replace the existing station that consisted of 4,500 SF. The design includes three and a half apparatus bays, office spaces, training mezzanine, dorm space and fitness center. The station was designed to respect the surrounding residential neighborhood while providing an updated station to meet NFPA best practices, meet operational needs now and into the future, and provide spaces for firefighter wellbeing, physical and mental health.
CNH Architects worked closely with the City of Plymouth to design an addition for Fire Station #3 as well as a remodel for the entire station. 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.
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.
The addition and remodeling upgrades to the Mendota Heights Fire Station provided an up-to-date fire station to meet the needs of the department well into the future. Providing a separate, dedicated space for turnout gear with direct connections to firefighter parking and apparatus bays helps shorten response times and provides more room in the bays for apparatus and NFPA clearance standards. Grouping dedicated decontamination areas together in the support spaces separate from the apparatus bays help with overall firefighter health and reducing carcinogen exposure. The administrative functions were moved to the north addition to provide more space and better separation from the hot zone areas as well as separating the public and firefighter traffic to not disrupt firefighter response flow.
The award-winning Roseville Fire Station brings the City’s three former stations into one modern, efficient facility designed to support today’s emergency response needs while significantly reducing environmental impact. Built on an existing City site and remediated brownfield, the project incorporates extensive sustainable strategies—from heat‑island‑reducing materials and redesigned stormwater features to access to public transit, secure bike storage, and on‑site EV charging.
High‑performance building systems include enhanced insulation, LED lighting, and a tightly sealed envelope, all verified through rigorous commissioning for long-term efficiency. Most notably, the station connects to the Roseville Ice Arena’s geothermal system, using excess heat from the Arena to dramatically reduce winter energy demand.
Inside, the station prioritizes firefighter health with abundant daylight, low‑VOC materials, clean-air ventilation strategies, CO₂ monitoring, and construction-phase air quality protection. Recycled and regional materials are used throughout, supporting reduced embodied carbon and long-term operational savings. Together, these strategies make the Roseville Fire Station a high‑performance, sustainable civic building designed to serve its community for decades.
