Santa Clara (Calif.) Police Headquarters has been expanded. The new 5,600 square-foot, one-story addition includes a new emergency dispatch center with nine workstations. (Photo Courtesy Leach Mounce Architects)

In August, telecommuicators in the city of Santa Clara, Calif., got a new space to call home. The city worked with Leach Mounce Architects to complete a needs assessment for communications, and design and manage the construction services for the new emergency dispatch center and community room.

The needs assessment and threat analysis was completed in 2007, and resulted in five alternate approaches to incorporate the emergency dispatch center into the existing police headquarters. The study showed that an addition to the front of the existing headquarters building was the least disruptive, most economical option and would not reduce existing police space.

The project is a 5,600 square-foot, one-story addition to the front of the existing police headquarters. It houses nine dispatch workstations, administrative offices and a multipurpose room, which can be used as a community room or emergency operation center, or for dispatch training.

This new facility is a significant upgrade to the working environment for dispatchers, who were previously working in an underground bunker with no natural daylight. They now have several large windows that provide views and a significant amount of daylight, which reduces the need for supplemental lighting. The dispatch center was also designed to meet level III bullet resistance standards.

Great care was taken to ensure the addition’s integration with the existing police building. Sample stucco finishes and colors were carefully reviewed during construction to ensure consistency of the building’s exterior. A new trellis was built outside the dispatch windows to provide shade and match the trellis structure on the existing building.

Other Benefits
The new community room is located adjacent to the main entry, easily accessed from the main lobby or a separate exterior entrance off the parking lot. This location allows the room to be used after hours by community organizations. The room includes audio/visual equipment, white boards, tackable wall panels and a kitchenette. It is also designed to be a training room for all department staff.

The new section includes administrative offices, which allowed for the relocation of several staff members from the third floor to the ground floor. A new counter adjacent to the main lobby gives the public easier access to services, including permit information and the Police Activities League.

The city’s staff members are very pleased with the project and have commented on how well the new addition fits in with its surroundings.

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Contributed by Leach Mounce Architects. For more information, visit http://leachmouncearchitects.com.