Architecture Students' Designs 'On Fire'

Fourteen students from UCF’s new Architecture program last month showed off their designs for a fire station in Orlando.

The students were enrolled in the third Architectural Design 6 course, which studies urban design and civic architecture. Their projects stemmed from a partnership between UCF and the City of Orlando Fire Department.

“We decided that a fire station offered an appropriate level of complexity for students at this level of development,” said Thomas McPeek, an assistant professor in UCF’s School of Visual Arts and Design.

The students presented their designs to local architects and firefighters as part of a larger project to learn about the role that civic architecture plays in the community. Their designs could possibly be used in future construction.

The project began with studying award-winning fire stations. The students also took extensive tours of two stations in Orlando, where they learned about the mechanics of a station from the firefighters who use them.

Students were given full access to the facilities, allowing them to gain an understanding of the complicated elements needed for the project, especially in the areas of security, efficiency and acoustics.

“A fire station represents a very unique building typology that combines commercial and residential architecture,” McPeek explained.

UCF offers a Bachelor of Design in Architecture degree in collaboration with Valencia Community College and the University of Florida. The flexible and affordable 2+2+2 program allows students to earn their associate’s degree from Valencia, bachelor’s degree from UCF and master’s degree from UF’s Citylab-Orlando at UCF’s downtown Center for Emerging Media.

To learn more about the collaborative Architecture program, visit its website.