Four New Police Substations

City of Tacoma Police Department

Tacoma, Washington

The scope of service included a rigorous programming phase to organize only the most essential functions into a compact plan. In addition, an extensive site analysis and selection phase of service served to locate each facility in the proximity of each community served, at the most economically viable location. Architectural resolution is a direct expression of primary programmatic elements; a long low-slope shed contains all secured police department functions, flanked by a steeper sloped shed roof over the public meeting rooms. A linear access corridor bisects the building into these two parts, providing, at one end of the corridor, a front door to pedestrians from public sidewalks, and at the other end, access to parking lots typically located at the rear of each building. Exterior colors and materials have been selected to give visual continuity between the substations and the Police Administrative Headquarters currently under construction, and to reinforce the open / secured nature of the internal activities.