Construction is underway for the Greenpoint Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Station, designed by Michielli + Wyetzner Architects for Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The two-story, 12,400-square-foot contemporary design accommodates the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) ambulance crews and vehicles, and occupies a prominent site on Metropolitan Avenue near Bedford Street in the rapidly developing neighborhood. The station is part of FDNY’s plan to improve response time to medical emergencies throughout the city by increasing the number of stations and thereby reducing the distance and time ambulances travel to those in need. Completion is expected for June 2012.
The station’s requirements led to four-part division of the facility. Since the space for housing vehicles calls for a higher ceiling height than in the rest of station, one side of the station is taller than the other and that change helps organize its functions. On the ground floor to the east is space for four vehicles, a vehicle support zone and personal protective equipment storage, while to the West are the lieutenant’s office and other administrative space.
