Manns Woodward Studios was recently granted the privilage of working with Tri-Towns Ambulance and Rescue Service to construct a new EMS facililty in Westernport, Maryland. The design for the new station will be focused on a two story building that will be no larger than 15,000 S.F. and will help maintain safety as well as serve the community.

The design is intended to include an Apparatus Bay with the ability to house up to eight vehicles, office space for administrative duties, sleeping quarters and other comforts for the personnel, and plenty of storage for all EMS related items and gear.

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The New Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Department is currently reaching its final stages of construction. The 6,800 S.F. addition and renovations will be completed in the near future and are almost ready for reinhabitance. The team at Manns Woodward Studios is excited to see the design come full circle with the upcoming finished construction.

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Manns Woodward Studios partnered with North Point Builders was chosen after an intense three month selection process to design the new Maryland Food Bank Headquarters in Halethorpe, Maryland. In December of 2010, the Maryland Food Bank issued a design competition / request for proposal for the extensive renovation design and construction of their new Headquarters facility. As the appointed project leaders, Manns Woodward Studios plans to design roughly 22,000 S.F. or new office, volunteer, and processing space.

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After the devastating fire that destroyed nearly all of their firehouse, the members of Sykesville Freedom District Fire Department that had been living out of tents and trailers now have a place they can call home. The first phase of the renovation and rebuild of the fire department has been completed and includes 12 bunk rooms, bathrooms, as well as a temporary day room and kitchen.

The department had been deeply shaken when the roof collapsed during last years blizzards. Adding to their unforunate situation, a gas main broke and engulfed the firehouse in flames - destroying nearly all of it. This emotional department needed the assistance of a compassionate and hardworking advocate to help them quickly renew their facility and therefore trusted Manns Woodward Studios with the task.

Members have already successfully moved in to the new building and are overjoyed at the luxuries it provides. Personnel are now able to relax in private bedrooms and take comfort in more private shower/ locker facilities. The team is ready to resume their every day operation of saving lives with a newfound sense of normality due to the completion of the first phase of the fire department.

Headway is already being made on the second phase which will expand the station even further. Upon its completion, the fire station will total 32,000 S.F. in size, almost two times larger than the original station. The second phase of the project will provide a Banquet Hall witha full commercial kitchen designed to seat 400 people in a formal setting. The temporary rooms built in phase one will also be converted to additional bunk rooms. The members of Sykesville Freedom District Fire Department are very excited for the final completion of their station.

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Kingsville Volunteer Fire Company will be experiencing some noticable changes to their fire station. Manns Woodward Studios was selected to redesign and renovate the overcrowded and somewhat ineffective old facility to serve as both a community center and a fully functioning department in the near future.

Although it is located on a challenging site, the upper floor of the original 11,000 S.F. masonry structure will be renovated to provide a community center with full commercial kitchen that is grade accessible. In addition to this, the lower lovel of the building will be completely gutted and renovated to tie into a new 17,500 S.F. addition.

The completed building is planned to include a classroom capable of seating 45, two large operations offices, a large watch office / command center, a board room, a fitness center, lockers, private showers, space for 21 bunks, a department kitche, and a dining and day room designed to comfortable seat 18 people.

Taking the expanse of equipment into account, seven full size apparatus bays are intended to anchor the end of the building and will be able to house a wide range of apparatus including a swift water rescue squad.

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Colora EMS Station will be one of the first public safety facilities to utilize a new cutting edge sprinkler technology in the mid-Atlantic region. The station will incorporate a state of the art high pressure fine mist sprinkler system. Known as a Hi-Fog system, the sprinkler will eliminate the department’s necessity to install a 30,000 gallon water holding tank and fire pump.

By law, public safety buildings are required to be protected by approved automatic sprinkler systems. Previously, when municipal water supply was not available to a building the only cost effective solution was to install costly and unsightly water holding tanks and fire pumps. These tanks typically require heat and are often over 10 feet in diameter and upwards of 30 feet long.

The Hi-Fog system requires only a small fraction of the water supply required by a conventional system. The water is delivered at high pressure which creates a vapor mist, inhibits the fires ability to "breathe" and ultimately extinguishes the flames.

The Colora EMS Station will be protected by a 400 gallon tank and stainless steel supply tubing. The system is also powered by pressurized Co2 canisters which eliminate the necessity to provide emergency power back-up to the fire pump equipment.

For more information about fine mist sprinkler technology and how it can be successfully incorporated in to public safety buildings and buildings which are at risk for water damage please contact our office.

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In February of 2010 The Sykesville Freedom District Fire Department suffered a catastrophic collapse to due heavy roof snow loads.  The collapse subsequently resulted in the rupture of the facilities 2” gas main, which shortly after ignited and engulfed nearly half of the building in flames.  Department personnel immediately jumped into action utilizing their own apparatus and the equipment from several other companies to extinguish the flames.  In the end, the department lost their entire social hall, administrative center, and recreational areas leaving only the apparatus bays intact.

Seeing the disaster as an opportunity to “rise from the ashes” and reconstruct a facility that would serve the increasing population in a superior manner the department conducted a design competition amongst five architectural firms.  After interviewing and investigating members of the department and community Manns Woodward Studios developed a comprehensive design solution and was selected by the Department to be the architect of record for the project.

The proposed design scheme calls for the project to be constructed in two separate phases which will enable the department to vacate their temporary administration facilities as quickly as possible.  The first phase of the project will consist of a locker and bunk area which will only be partially “fit out” to enable the department to utilize the open space as multi-purpose administration space during construction of the second phase.

The second phase of the project shall consist of a Banquet Hall designed to seat 400 people in a formal setting, two separate community rooms, a fully functioning commercial kitchen, administrative offices, fitness areas, day rooms, computer labs, classrooms, and conference rooms.  Additional space will also be dedicated to storage area and the construction of two additional apparatus bays that will accommodate up to four medic units.

The project will utilize sustainable technologies such as daylight harvesting, solar hot water and rain water collection.  Geothermal energy is also being carefully considered.

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Manns Woodward Studios and Decker Contracting of Elkton, Maryland were selected by Cecil County and the Department of Emergency Services to design and build a new 6,000 S.F. EMS station in Colora, Maryland. The New Station will provide space for five pieces of apparatus along with a living spaces designed to accomodate the requirements of a full-time career staff. Living spaces include locker rooms, shower areas, operational management offices, a working kitchen and a recreational great room.

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