Masonry Advisory Council names Arlington Heights Police Department building Best Governmental project in Excellence in Masonry architectural design competition; judges comment on facility’s focus on community Over the past 25 years, the Village of Arlington Heights, Illinois has solidified its downtown image with traditional-looking masonry facilities. Examples include the village hall (built in 2008) and […]
Arlington Heights Police Station
Simulation means success: immersive public safety training comes to college campuses
When classrooms are not enough: how higher education campuses can use immersive environments that replicate real-world situations to enhance public safety training. Featuring a case study of Cuyahoga Community College’s Simulated Scenario Village. Today’s national conversation about law enforcement focuses on issues ranging from community-based policing to domestic terrorism and natural disasters. This proves the […]
The art behind the Arlington Heights Police Station
A closer look at how designers used brick and stone to fit the Arlington Heights Police Station into a traditional municipal campus The Village of Arlington Heights’ (Illinois) new police station has improved efficiencies, storage, safety, and training capabilities. It even received an American Public Works Association national Project of the Year Award for its […]
Arlington Heights Police Station Designed with Community in Mind
New Arlington Heights Police Station offers more space, efficiency, safety, and community connections A stone arch stretches over a window on the south façade of Arlington Heights’ new police station. On some nights, when citizens traveling along Sigwalt Street look through that window, they will see officers and fellow residents meeting in the station’s most […]
Police Station Architecture Design Tips: Part 4 (Ash Makes a Splash)
Ash trees that fell victim to invasive insect resurrected in new police station This series on police station design tips concludes with a case study that exemplifies how communities can overcome—and even use to their advantage—an unexpected setback. The classic “make lemonade out of lemons” proverb comes to mind. But in this case, the Village […]
Police Station Architecture Design Tips: Part 3 (Respect the Budget)
Community-sensitive police station design strikes a careful balance between aesthetics and budget What’s it going to cost? This is one of the questions that architects get asked most often. It’s especially relevant to police stations, whose construction budgets face constant public scrutiny. The challenge for architects, therefore, is to design a station that is both […]
Police Station Architecture Design Tips: Part 2 (Site Selection)
When the time comes to choose a site for a new police station, cost is just one of many factors to consider. In our last post, we talked about promoting community connections by giving the police station a friendly face. However, before the discussions about building style and materials, municipalities that are building a new […]
Police Station Architecture Design Tips: Part 1 (Community Connections)
The new face of police stations: strong and welcoming Not long ago, police stations were built to look like fortresses. Nothing about them said “Come in” or “We’re part of this community.” Rather, the message was, “Stay away.” A station does need to convey a sense of strength and permanence. Still, the love affair with […]