The new Fire Station is located in a square plot, practically flat, in the industrial park Palau de Reig, in Valls. It is a rectangular compact volume, aligned with the street. Half the building is occupied by the garage and associate services, with heliport on the roof, while the rest of the program is located in the other half of the station.

Fire Station in Valls, image courtesy Santamaria Arquitectes | Photo by FRANCESC RUBÍ

The building is double height in the part of the garage, two stories in the central part of the building, and one single story in the south end.

Fire Station in Valls, image courtesy Santamaria Arquitectes | Photo by FRANCESC RUBÍ

In order that the building is understood as a sole volume, the difference of heights is solved as a fold of the unitary concrete roof.

Fire Station in Valls, image courtesy Santamaria Arquitectes | Photo by FRANCESC RUBÍ

The most public rooms, control, office of the chief and the multipurpose room are placed in the ground floor, near the access, looking onto the street façade. The living-dining room and kitchen are located at the end of the building, opened to the south, where there is a paved outdoor area under a porch. Wardrobes and services, the most private rooms, are located on the rear part of the building. The bedrooms and associate toilets are on the first floor. The gym is a glass box placed in the center of the building, double height and illuminated through the first floor. The central position of the gym defines around it the most public corridor at the access, the most private area of the wardrobes, the access to kitchen, living-dining room and the exit to the backyard, and the stairs and services.

Fire Station in Valls, image courtesy Santamaria Arquitectes | Photo by FRANCESC RUBÍ

Fire Station in Valls, image courtesy Santamaria Arquitectes | Photo by FRANCESC RUBÍ

The garage is double height and faces the street and the backyard, facilitating the fire trucks access from the street and the pass of them to the backyard. Rooms related to the garage consist of storage, cleanliness and dried of intervention suits, mechanical workshop and building systems spaces, laid out between two floors.

Fire Station in Valls - Ground floor plan, drawing courtesy Santamaria Arquitectes

Fire Station in Valls - First floor plan, drawing courtesy Santamaria Arquitectes

Fire Station in Valls - Section, drawing courtesy Santamaria Arquitectes

+ Project facts

Architect: SANTAMARIA ARQUITECTES | http://www.santamariaarquitectes.cat
Team: PERE SANTAMARIA – Chairman, MIREIA PALOMAS, PILAR TOLL, GEMMA TORRAS
Location: FUSTERS Street, VALLS (TARRAGONA)
Project date: 25 / 09 / 2009
Completion date: 22 / 12 / 2010
Client: GISA, Gestión de Infraestructuras S.A.
Ministry of Home Affairs, Generalitat de Catalunya
Budget: 3.254.752 €
Area: 1.337,07 m2
Photographer: FRANCESC RUBÍ

+ All images and drawings courtesy SANTAMARIA ARQUITECTES

WARP is a lightweight and portable side table for different opportunities. It is applicable in the living room as well as in public spaces such as hotel lobbies, waiting areas but also in bars or cafés. Its shape signalises mobility and due to the integrated handle in the table plate it could be moved by the user to any place.

The table’s height allows comfy working with a laptop on a couch or an easy chair and the shape of the foot frame offers plenty of legroom.

+ Facts

Measurements: height 65cm / diam. table plate 53cm
Materials: basframe, steel powder-coated, table plate, MDF lacquered

WARP for Ligne Roset, image courtesy Oliver Schick Design

WARP for Ligne Roset, image courtesy Oliver Schick Design

WARP for Ligne Roset, image courtesy Oliver Schick Design

WARP for Ligne Roset, image courtesy Oliver Schick Design

The plan for this installation called for creating two dragon bodies, each with its own head. The directive was for it to have lots of color, so over twenty different Varia colors were used. Each body has its own color scheme, one warm (yellow, reds and oranges) and the other cool (green, blues, and purples.) The mixing of the various Varia layers doubled and tripled the effect, with the colors overlaying each other – giving the appearance of a bold watercolor painting.

For the lighting, color-changing RGB LED lights were used. Each section of the dragon is accentuated with the complementary color produced by the LEDs. Additionally, they can be programmed to dance – creating an effect that the dragon is actually moving.

LightArt "The Dragon", image courtesy 3form

LightArt "The Dragon", image courtesy 3form

The lights are controlled from an iPad, so the operator can achieve various effects. To add a little whimsy, smoke and sound effects were also added.

LightArt completed this extremely complex project within a tight deadline – in time for the start of the Chinese New Year, since 2012 is the Year of the Dragon.

+ The facts

• 75 feet long (both halves)
• 6 sections, 2 heads
• RGB LED lighting with full DMX control via iPad
• 3 months to build

LightArt "The Dragon", image courtesy 3form

LightArt "The Dragon", image courtesy 3form