New Colorado Fire Station Photos: Briggsdale Fire Protection District Station 1
We're excited to finally share the completed photos of Briggsdale Fire Protection District Station 1, a new Colorado fire station designed by BARI Architecture. Nothing is as rewarding as photoshoot day—especially after seeing a project move from sketches and construction drawings to ribbon cutting and community use.
Located in rural Weld County, Colorado, this project demonstrates how a pre-engineered metal building (PEMB) can become a modern, durable, and highly functional fire station.
Designing a Rural Colorado Fire Station
Briggsdale Fire Protection District needed more than a building to store fire trucks. The new station had to support emergency response while serving as a community resource for the surrounding rural area.
Working closely with the fire district, our team adapted a pre-engineered metal building into a fully functioning fire station with:
- Three apparatus bays for emergency vehicles
- Sleeping quarters for firefighters
- Offices and support spaces
- Training and operational areas
- A community meeting room
- A full kitchen for events and emergency operations
Every square foot was carefully planned to maximize functionality while remaining within the district's budget.
Fire Station Design Inspired by Eastern Colorado
The architecture draws inspiration from the agricultural landscape that surrounds Briggsdale. Instead of competing with its rural setting, the building embraces the simplicity of eastern Colorado's barns, grain elevators, and agricultural buildings.
A clean gabled roof, durable white metal panels, and restrained red accents create a contemporary civic building that feels authentic to its surroundings. The architecture is intentionally straightforward, allowing proportion, materials, and graphics to define the building's identity.
The oversized "21" provides immediate recognition for visitors while reinforcing the station's civic presence within the community.
Why a Pre-Engineered Metal Building?
Many rural fire districts choose pre-engineered metal buildings because they offer exceptional value, durability, and speed of construction. Our role as architects was to transform the efficiency of a PEMB into a building that feels welcoming, functional, and built specifically for firefighters.
The clear-span structural system provides flexible apparatus bays while minimizing maintenance over the building's lifespan—an important consideration for departments that must carefully manage taxpayer resources.
This project demonstrates that thoughtful design can elevate even the most economical building systems.
Architecture That Serves the Community
In many small Colorado towns, public buildings serve multiple purposes. We designed Station 21 to be more than an emergency services facility by incorporating a community room and kitchen that can host meetings, training sessions, and local events.
This flexibility helps the building become an important civic asset rather than simply a place where emergency vehicles are housed.
A New Landmark for Briggsdale
Simple architecture often creates the strongest identity. Station 21 avoids unnecessary complexity, instead relying on clean forms, durable materials, and bold graphics to create a memorable landmark for the community it serves.
Warm lighting from the apparatus bays and the highly visible station graphics communicate readiness while giving residents confidence that emergency services are always close at hand.
A Project We're Proud Of
Projects like Briggsdale Fire Protection District Station 21 remind us that great architecture is about understanding people as much as buildings. By listening to the fire district, respecting the project budget, and responding to the surrounding landscape, we were able to create a fire station that is efficient, durable, and distinctly Colorado.
We're grateful to Briggsdale Fire Protection District, the builders, consultants, and local jurisdiction for their collaboration throughout the project. Seeing the station in service—and capturing these completed photographs—is one of the most rewarding parts of our work.