The Seattle Fire Department and the Seattle Fire Fighters Union, Local 27, invite the community to check out Seattle’s brand new Fire Station 20, located at 2800 15th Ave. W. in the west Queen Anne neighborhood during an open house from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31.

“The new station allows for an improved and safer work facility for the firefighters,” said Interim Fire Chief Michael E. Walsh. “We welcome the community to stop by and check out the features of this new fire station and also learn more about the public safety protection the firefighters provide on a daily basis.

Fire Station 20 is set to become the most sustainable fire station not only in Seattle, but in the entire state of Washington. The station meets the 2015 energy reduction guidelines of the Architecture 2030 challenge, and its materials and features will earn enough points for LEED Platinum certification.

“Seattle is known worldwide for its environmental leadership. City policy mandates LEED Gold for new construction, and we’ve gone well beyond that with this new fire station,” said Mayor Edward Murray. “This remarkable achievement supports my vision for Seattle, as we continue to push the boundaries, seeking innovative and creative solutions to ensure the most efficient use of resources – our natural resources, as well as taxpayer dollars.”

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environment Design, is the U.S. Green Building Council’s certification program recognizing best-in-class green building strategies. While the City of Seattle facility is not the first in the state to earn LEED Platinum status, the points expected for Fire Station 20 will outnumber the only other station with platinum status, making it the “most sustainable.”

The station’s sustainable features include ultra-low flow plumbing fixtures, drought-tolerant landscaping and efficient irrigation systems, infiltration garden filters, LED light fixtures, ground source heat pump and a rooftop solar panel array. The station also features a recovery system for heat exhausted from the building and an energy management and control system to maximize efficiency.

Also installed at the fire station is a free-standing sculpture titled “Wind and Water,” commissioned as part of the city’s public art program. Created by Los Angeles artist Rob Ley, it features long strands of stainless steel tubing, welded together to create an abstract representation of wind and water. The public art program specifies that 1 percent of eligible city capital improvement funds be set aside for the commission, purchase and installation of artworks in a variety of settings.

Fire Station 20 will house Engine 20 and a crew of four firefighters. The new facility features an extra apparatus bay, so it can accommodate an EMS unit if needed in the future.

The new station was designed by Schacht Aslani Architects of Seattle, and the contractor is Forma Construction Company. Construction on this $10.2 million project began in July 2013 and was completed in December 2014. During construction of the new station, firefighters stayed in their existing facility. Fire Station 20 is one of 32 neighborhood fire stations being upgraded, renovated or replaced through the Fire Facilities and Emergency Response Levy, which was approved by Seattle voters in 2003. Fire Station 20 is located at 2800 15th Ave. W., Seattle.