After more than 15 years without a new fire station, the City of Asheville proudly opened Fire Station 13—a modern, LEED Certified facility designed to strengthen public safety and community resilience.
Stewart provided structural engineering services for this multi-level facility, which brings together the city’s fire department, police substation, and emergency operations center (EOC) under one roof. The station’s design follows the steeply sloped site, stacking the police department on the lower level, apparatus bays and shared spaces at midlevel, and the EOC and fire department living quarters on the upper floors.
The facility includes three drive-through, double-deep apparatus bays with bi-fold doors at the front and overhead doors at the rear, along with adjacent decontamination spaces accessible from both the bays and exterior. Above, the living quarters feature dorms, locker rooms, and shared kitchen and dayroom spaces overlooking the front of the building.
To address the site’s challenging grade, Stewart’s team designed the structure to step naturally with the terrain—eliminating the need for large retaining walls and creating five distinct levels that balance functionality, durability, and design efficiency.
Photos courtesy of ADA Architects.