Somerville, Mass.— The City of Somerville has unveiled a new state-of-the-art fire station at Assembly Row, marking the city’s first newly built fire station in nearly 50 years and its first to operate without fossil fuels. Designed by CambridgeSeven, the 10,000-square-foot facility reflects a growing emphasis on firefighter health, public safety, and environmental sustainability.
Located in one of Greater Boston’s fastest-growing mixed-use districts, the new station serves as headquarters for both Somerville’s professional firefighting force and the Auxiliary Firefighter Unit. City officials and designers said the facility was shaped through close collaboration with firefighters to address the demanding and unpredictable nature of fire service work.
The building’s layout introduces high-performance, flexible spaces that support efficiency and safety, including a system of hot, warm, and cold zones to prevent contaminants from spreading into living and sleeping areas. Individual bunk rooms were designed with a hospitality-inspired approach to promote rest and recovery. Additional features include dedicated locker rooms, fitness facilities, a multipurpose meeting space, and a full kitchen.
As Somerville’s first all-electric fire station, the facility aligns with the city’s broader climate and sustainability goals. Energy-efficient systems such as air-source heat pumps and an energy recovery unit are paired with red-list-free materials to improve indoor air quality while reducing the building’s carbon footprint.
“We’re proud to bring this essential service to Assembly Row in a way that supports our first responders and strengthens the neighborhood,” said Justin Crane, FAIA, principal at CambridgeSeven. “This environmentally sustainable building sets the tone for the City’s Community Climate Action Plan and serves as a welcoming, celebratory space for firefighters and the community alike.”
Mayor Jake Wilson said the new station reflects how the role and needs of firefighters have evolved over time. “It has been nearly 50 years since Somerville built a new fire station, and our firefighters’ needs have changed dramatically,” Wilson said. “This station delivers safer working conditions, healthier spaces, and a modern layout that supports fast, reliable response—while also demonstrating that core infrastructure can be modernized in an efficient, future-ready way.”
Beyond its emergency response function, the Assembly Row fire station is designed as a civic presence at a major gateway to the neighborhood. City leaders say the project serves as a model for integrating critical public safety infrastructure into dense, mixed-use urban developments while advancing ambitious climate action goals.
