Oak Hills Local School District Administration Building and Delhi Township Fire Station

Cincinnati, Ohio

Firm

MSA Architects

Client

Oak Hills Local School District and Delhi Township

Area

31,819 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$3,670,000

Completion Date

07/2001

Because of increasing population and student enrollment, Oak Hills Local Schools needed additional administrative space. Simultaneously, increasing residential construction and traffic resulted in unacceptably slow response times in the Delhi Township Fire Department. The school board approached the township to explore constructing a joint-use building.
The resulting design is the union of the Oak Hills district administration offices and a four-bay fire station that includes a shared training facility. By combining these operations, they created a larger presence while adhering to budgetary constraints. Specific design issues included site position, building materials, contextual relationships, establishing an independent image, and building lighting.
The facility, situated on a heavily wooded, sloped site, keeps the two-story structure low, surrounded by trees, and tucked back from the main street, allowing for tranquil, outdoor spaces at the rear of the building.
Brick and roofing similar to that used on adjacent buildings, combined with stone banding and an entry tower with an adjoining trellis, creates careful detail and establishes independent identity. Creative lighting was placed purposefully to enhance architectural details.