The East Cambridge Fire Station is located at the corner of Second Street and Cambridge Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, across the street from the old Middlesex County Courthouse and abutting a small scale residential neighborhood. The program called for the housing of two active fire companies and one reserve company with an apparatus room, residential quarters and related training spaces.
The building has been organized by placing the apparatus on the lower floor and the residential quarters on the second floor. To facilitate quick access to the fire trucks, each company's dormitory facilities are located directly over its respective vehicle, which are reached by conveniently located slide poles.
The interior materials were chosen with a view towards economy, ease of maintenance, and durability. To overcome the institutional appearance often found in fire stations, bright colors and graphics have been applied to wall surfaces with epoxy paint and vinyl wall fabric.
In order to break up the scale of the building to relate better to the residential neighborhood, the apparatus bays have been stepped back. In addition, roof monitors, the hose tower and stair tower provide small scale elements which further help reduce scale. The major exterior material is a brick chosen to harmonize with the brick of the old courthouse.