The College for Emergency Rescue and Fire Fighters of Puerto Rico, was conceived as multi disciplinary facility located in Salinas, Puerto Rico which will house all the pertinent training grounds for the preparation of all prospective firefighters academy students and all rescue personnel that would be mobilized in the event of a major catastrophic event in the Carribean and the surrounding regions. Sponsored by the Obama administration this state of the art facility would be composed of an extensive mix of training grounds, ranging from different training props for a variety of fire encounters and rescue situations. The academic portion of the program is strategically located at the southern edge of what serves as the main circulation spine for The CBPR Academy Complex. The importance of this location is strictly enforced by the relationship of the programmatic elements that delineate this gesture. To the North, a landscape intervention serves as a natural threshold which visually and physically subdivides the entry sequence into the site. This serves as a means for storm water collection and a cooling element, which serves the adjacent student dormitory residences and recreational facilities. To the South, a public plaza, routed in its civic nature serves as a ceremonial entry sequence to what becomes an exterior extension of the CBPR Museum Gallery. A distinct exchange between this two components promotes the desired purpose of celebrating the memory of the fallen heroes that served their fellow men as members of “El Cuepro de Bomberos de Puerto Rico”. This architectural moment seeks to emphasize the synergy of the interior gallery exhibits and the Museum Monumental Plaza as a place of gathering and reflection. A place where history informs the present and the tragic events of the past teach the generations of the future. The Museum Gallery with a single gesture delineates the western façade of the administration pavilion to the west of the Museum Plaza. This architectural backdrop, while creating a visual segregation to the parking facilities located to the west of this pavilion will still allow for a prominent circulation path within the building. Exhorting free movement through the site while enforcing the use and prominence of the Museum as an integral part of the educational program for the academy. In addition to the CBPR Museum exhibits the administration pavilion will house a multi-purpose media press room with the ability of hosting ceremonial gatherings in conjunction to the Museum Gallery and the Museum Plaza, as well as Provost and Human Resources administrative office space. Prolonging the relation to this axis, the Museum Monumental Plaza, extends across a vehicular circulation path to create what becomes the civic foyer to the Pre-Function space for the Auditorium. Descending form the street level, a series of grand steps serve as an outdoor amphitheater landing on a contained entry plaza to the auditorium. This transitional gesture promotes the ability of transforming the spatial quality of the entry to host the exchange of a variety of functions that would support the educational pursuit of this venue. By the means of a series of ascending grand steps a main pedestrian circulation axis through the educational building component takes place connecting what are civic, educational and residential areas to the academy training facilities on site. The subtle vertical ascension from the main public areas leading up to the Main Upper Level Plaza gradually reveal the fire training facilities and the Mock City training props, giving the audience a full understanding of the site organization and orientation. Providing a safe gathering space for students and faculty alike to have instructional meetings in reference to the training facilities as a backdrop. From this Upper Level Plaza all campus connections can take place, main access to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Extinction classrooms as well as the upper pre-function areas of the Auditorium and the lower level student dining services and administration services. The upper level above the plaza provides shade from the southern exposure Caribbean sun while creating a breezeway to naturally cool the public spaces during the hot hours of the day. These areas will house a series of Extinction classrooms facing the fire training facilities, while allowing for the flexibility of combining the subsequent classrooms into a larger multi-purpose facility catering for large gatherings, conferences and events. This educational component serves to create a place of gather, a place of practice and exchange, a social mixture of learning and living, students and educators, a contained separation that serves a physical condition but provides a visual connection to the subject.
