Berkeley Hills Fire Station

When Alten Construction teamed with the City of Berkeley and Marcy Li Wong Architects to build the LEED-certified Hills Fire Station into an existing hillside in Berkeley in 2005, it was necessary to remove 1,500 cubic yards of soil and to reinforce the hillside. Once this work was completed, structural work consisted of cast-in-place concrete walls and drilled piers underneath the new building foundation for retaining walls to support the hillside. Alten Construction self-performed the concrete, wood framing and exterior siding. The finished building includes an elevator, a weight room, a kitchen, sleeping quarters, an emergency operations center dorm, restrooms and shower, and an apparatus bay for fire engines.

As part of the team effort to obtain LEED certification, Alten Construction implemented a number of green measures designed by Marcy Li Wong Architects, such as installing and commissioning energy efficient mechanical systems; placing water efficient landscaping; using only low VOC materials and diverting 75% of construction debris from landfills.