Public Safety Institute

The Public Safety Institute (PSI) brings together the College’s signature programs in Fire Sciences, Emergency Medicine and Criminal Justice, housed in a two-story classroom and academic office building attached to a single story high-bay fire science training building. The design of the institute and its adjacent landscaping and training spaces lays the groundwork for an integrated college campus master plan and the realization of AIMS’ vision to become a signature vocational-based community campus.

The concept for the PSI evolved from an investigation of the interplay of program and context. Located in a rural district of Windsor, Colorado, the site is characterized by a strong horizontality. Farmland is visible in the foreground, the Front Range defines the background. The parti for the master plan is built on a pedestrian spine that links the three phases of development, providing a  ‘green thread’ that weaves between the existing native landscape while connecting new outdoor places and buildings. A major outdoor green space centers the built projects.

The PSI is organized around high bay vocational space and the administration/classroom wing. These spaces are joined by a public lobby that serves as a front door to campus. A café, fire science pavilion, training tower and observation tower give the building strong vertical gestures that contrast with the strong horizontal impression of the site. The building demonstrates an integrated vision of disparate programs and uses, expressed clearly through the delineation of form and function.