Greater Harris County 9-1-1 Tom Bass Building

This 48,600-square-foot, mission critical facility maintains critical call center equipment for all 9-1-1 emergency calls handled by 41 call taker locations in 49 cities across a two county region.

The facility was designed to be fully self-supporting for 10 days off the grid during a disaster, and includes its own critical server rooms, power generation, water, food, and sleeping quarters. The hardened building can withstand a Category 5 hurricane, and is protected with state-of-the-art security, audio-visual, and information technology systems. Program elements include training, administration, 9-1-1 support, and communications facilities.

The lobby’s slate flooring features warm autumn tones that blend with the interior setting and the metallic and neutral colors of the exterior architecture. The organic nature of the patterned woven carpet continues the lobby palette, while casework and doors introduce accents of cherry wood veneer.

The design team carefully chose interior materials to support the project’s LEED Silver design. For maximum efficiency, productivity, and security, PGAL positioned the boardroom, a large training room that can be divided into three rooms, the critical server, and support space on the ground level. The second floor accommodates private offices, a fitness facility and locker rooms, and the 24/7 command center.

Even with the advanced technological building systems, the completed facility utilizes 40 percent less water and 18 percent less energy than a conventionally designed building. PGAL incorporated more than 40 different products or materials containing recycled content. In addition, 97 percent of the waste generated during construction was diverted from local landfills.

Features Include:

1. 48,600-square-foot facility maintaining critical call center equipment for all 9-1-1 emergency calls handled by 41 call taker locations in 49 cities across a two county region
2. Facility equipped to be fully self-supporting for 10 days off the grid during a disaster
3. Building hardened to withstand a Category 5 hurricane