The Salem Police Station was the culmination of a six-year-long relationship between our firm, the City of Salem, and Salem Police Department. Design exploration began with understanding the operational needs of the police department, going on ride-along journeys in the community, and building relationships with community supporters and detractors alike.
This extended to providing data and design supporting a site selection and supporting an effort to garner community support for the project with facts and advocacy. Openness and communication with the client and community was crucial during project development. We openly explored a bespoke operations workflow focused on wellness, inside a wrapper that needed to be a community gateway with an emphasis on the transparency of community policing to convey equity and fairness for all. Our design goal for the building was to create a place where all in the community will feel welcome and comfortable engaging law enforcement.
