Preston County 911/OEM Center

Mills Group designed the new Preston County 911/Office of Emergency Management Center to be a secure location to provide county residents with consistent and exemplary service and response.

Planned with an eye towards both security and environmentally sound construction, the resulting structure balances tested methods with an interesting and aesthetically pleasing design. The 6,200 square foot single story structure makes abundant use of precast concrete sandwich panels. Such implementation provided savings to the client in the form of reduced construction costs and energy bills. Designs called for a mix of fixed and operable windows that benefit occupants with natural ventilation and sufficient day lighting to all parts of the facility allowing a professional finish that also avoids 'sick' building syndrome.

This is the first project completed on the Preston County Farm redevelopment. It serves as an example of thoughtful design and as a catalyst for further development of Preston County. Additionally, this was the first new building that the county constructed since the courthouse in 1934.

Being greenfield development, the building was designed to meet LEED Silver standards, with careful consideration for siting, material selection, and construction waste management. Pre-cast concrete panels allowed for expedient construction that provided accommodations for Preston County 911/OEM.