Civil Protection Centre Eyrs

A volume of green-pigmented insulating concrete gives the civil protection centre a clear presence between the village and the wooded valley slopes. Built for the volunteer fire brigade, it gathers emergency facilities into one compact, sculptural form.

The building takes its geometry from the edges of a trapezoidal plot. A single-storey vehicle hall sits beside a two-storey wing for crew and administration, and the change in height draws a sloping roof across both. A hose-drying tower rises through the roof as a marker for the brigade, carrying its emblem at the top. The mass reads as one green monolith, while its profile shows the different operational areas.

The ground floor holds four vehicle bays, a command room, changing rooms and a standby room, linked by short routes for call-outs. Upstairs, a kitchen and training room look straight into the vehicle hall. Technical rooms, storage and an archive are in the basement, and a central lift gives step-free access to all three levels.

The outer walls are insulating concrete, structure and thermal performance in one material: mineral lightweight aggregates mixed with cement, water and additives. The porous surface gives the walls texture and thermal mass, and the material is durable, non-combustible and recyclable. Reinforced concrete forms the frame and slabs, with aluminium windows, resin floors and steel and timber doors chosen for daily use.

The green carries indoors across concrete walls, resin floors, doors and furniture. Set apart from the grey, white and beige of the village, the volume stands out against the wooded slopes or recedes into them as the light changes.