Urbahn designed this facility to serve as the primary communications and deployment center for Jersey City’s emergency responders. The heart of the building, the 911 call center and operations theatre, is located on the second floor and staffed by Police, Fire, and EMS personnel. Adjacent critical spaces include suites for teams providing research, planning and tactical support. The first floor houses training, information technology, a mission-critical server center, and employee facilities.
The exterior skin is outfitted with bullet resistant assemblies, and windows are obscured with colorful baffles that prevent visual surveillance while enabling daylighting. In response to the residential setting, the façade employs texture and color to soften its actual hardness. Our design was based on the use of modular components to accelerate construction. We designed redundant HVAC, electrical, and telecommunications systems to support 24/7 operations. The project was the first public building in Jersey City to receive LEED Silver certification.