Redmond Public Safety Facility

Redmond, Oregon
Redmond Public Safety Facility stretches across a landscaped site with Central Oregon mountains in the background and a hot air balloon in the clear morning sky

The Redmond Public Safety Facility provides a modern, community-centered home for the Redmond Police Department, replacing an outdated building that could no longer support the city’s rapid growth. Designed by FFA Architecture and Interiors, the two-story mass timber building reflects the department’s values of teamwork, wellness, and public trust. Exposed cross-laminated timber and generous daylight create a warm, biophilic environment that supports officer well-being while reinforcing connections to Central Oregon’s landscape. The facility carefully balances secure operations with welcoming public spaces, including a civic plaza and community training areas. Sustainable systems, flexible infrastructure, and a resilient structural strategy ensure the building will continue serving Redmond’s evolving needs for decades.

Year Completed:
2025
Size:
43,800 SF
Project Contact:
Ian Gelbrich, AIA
Partner, Market Lead

A Mass Timber Civic Anchor for a Rapidly Growing Community

The new Redmond Public Safety Facility represents more than a much-needed operational upgrade—it is a community-endorsed investment in civic resilience. It was shaped by FFA’s early work with the City: a comprehensive needs assessment, site evaluation, and concept design that clearly communicated how this facility would serve both the department and the broader Redmond community. As Redmond experienced unprecedented growth, residents supported a 2022 bond measure to fund a new home for the Police Department.

Aerial view of the Redmond Public Safety Facility showing the two-story civic building, entry plaza with flagpoles, surrounding landscape, and distant Cascade Mountain peaks beyond the city

A Community-Backed Vision for a Modern Police Facility

That public trust was not incidental. FFA’s early planning efforts played a critical role in building that trust. By engaging City leaders and department staff in a transparent process, the design team helped articulate a compelling vision—one grounded in operational need, long-term civic value, and community benefit. This pre-bond groundwork not only shaped the future facility but also laid the foundation for public understanding and support.

Located along NW Canal Boulevard, the site was strategically chosen as a future gateway into Redmond from Highway 97. Its generous footprint allows the facility to anchor a larger civic vision that includes a future park, recreation spaces, and a trail system, positioning the building not only as a public service hub but also as a gathering point for everyday community life.

Design Rooted in Culture, Wellness, and Central Oregon Identity

The foundation of the design was established through a series of facilitated visioning sessions, user interviews, sustainability workshops, and with Redmond Police Department staff, including FFA’s Robert Libke Public Safety and Beaverton Public Safety. Through intentional, shift-friendly workshops, FFA guided the department in identifying its core values: teamwork, wellness, trust, and connection to the Central Oregon landscape. These values became the drivers of the facility’s form and function.

Community input was gathered through public open houses, interactive exercises, and post-it note feedback. Every component—indoors and out—was shaped by direct input from sworn officers, department staff, City leadership, and residents to ensure the final design was welcoming, durable, and functionally responsive.

The resulting two-story mass timber structure centers around a collaborative interior hub, where circulation pathways and shared spaces converge to promote informal interactions and teamwork. Views from these shared spaces to the surrounding peaks—Mount Jefferson, the Sisters, and Smith Rock—are purposefully framed throughout the building to reinforce a sense of place and calm. Interior materials, including exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) wall panels and ceilings, reflect the region’s character while enhancing daylighting and biophilic connection.

Visitors approach the Redmond Police Department entrance through a landscaped plaza with trees, benches, and a glass lobby revealing exposed mass timber inside

Visitors enter the Redmond Police Department lobby, where exposed CLT walls and timber beams frame a bright waiting area with seating and views to an outdoor courtyard

Police staff gather in a sunlit breakroom and collaboration hub featuring exposed mass timber beams, CLT ceilings, a central kitchen, and large windows facing a landscaped courtyard

A police officer and staff member meet at a small table beside floor-to-ceiling windows, with exposed CLT walls and views to a landscaped courtyard outside

Programmatically, the design responds to both operational efficiency and public interface. Secure and public areas are carefully zoned, with trauma-informed design features such as layered entries, courtyards, and private lobby zones that support dignity and de-escalation. Shared team spaces, such as the break room, training rooms, and conferencing areas, were organized to promote camaraderie while preserving privacy where needed.

Evening view of the Redmond Public Safety Facility with illuminated interiors, large glass walls revealing exposed mass timber, and landscaped grounds surrounding the building

Civic Integration, Long-Term Adaptability, and Sustainability

More than a standalone building, the Redmond Public Safety Facility was envisioned as part of a larger civic fabric. The site plan includes infrastructure to support events and amenities, such as food-truck access and a community plaza, as well as future recreational spaces. A walking trail weaves through the site, reinforcing wellness and visibility, while strengthening the everyday presence of officers within the neighborhood.

Technology and flexibility were integrated from the outset. Interview rooms, holding areas, and IT infrastructure were designed with forward compatibility in mind—from interview rooms with future-ready data ports and security infrastructure to drone-launch access, expandable IT/server rooms, and rough-ins for evolving security and communications systems. Sustainable design strategies include a high-performance envelope, VRF mechanical systems for zone-specific temperature control, and current and future solar infrastructure. EV charging is provided for both fleet and public vehicles, and lighting systems allow user-level customization to enhance comfort and autonomy.

Police training and briefing room with exposed CLT walls and timber beams, rows of tables and chairs, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the surrounding landscape

Officer processes materials in the Redmond Police Department evidence room, with stainless work surfaces, specialized equipment, and exposed mass timber columns visible in the adjacent workspace

The mass timber structure helps reduce the building’s embodied carbon while supporting the forest economy. Energy-efficient mechanical systems, abundant daylighting, and a tightly controlled envelope support the City’s sustainability goals and reduce long-term operating costs.

As a General Obligation Bond project, the team navigated cost volatility and scope alignment through close collaboration with the City, the CMGC team at Pence Construction, and early trade partners. Throughout, FFA worked with the City to preserve program integrity while aligning the final scope with available funding. Public Works also contributed by investing in right-of-way improvements and extending infrastructure north of the site, reinforcing the facility’s role in the City’s larger growth plan.

Designed with Trust. Built for the Future.

Completed in 2025, the Redmond Public Safety Facility stands as a symbol of civic trust, regional pride, and forward-thinking public service. Born from deep stakeholder engagement and backed by a supportive community, the design reflects not only where Redmond is today—but where it’s going.

The Redmond Public Safety Facility glows at dusk beyond native Central Oregon landscape, with illuminated windows revealing the civic building set against an evening sky