The Bristol Public Safety Building stands as a new home for the town’s police, fire, and EMS services as well as a testament to how ICF construction can deliver exceptional durability, energy efficiency, and long-term value for critical community infrastructure. The building was the Light Commercial Winner and the People’s Choice winner in the 2025 ICF Builder Awards.

The Bristol Public Safety Building project encompassed 19,808 square  feet of total floor space, with 7,200 square feet dedicated to apparatus bays and 12,608 square feet for administrative functions. Built using Nudura ICF systems, the structure utilized 11,100 square feet of ICF walls with 100% of exterior walls constructed using this advanced building method.

Dave Groen of Groen Construction served as both general contractor and ICF installer for the project, bringing more than 20 years of ICF experience to the build. The 57-week construction timeline included only 68 days of ICF installation. Despite a challenging winter in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, the project was completed within budget and turned over to the town in time for the open house that was scheduled in July 2024.

Complexity & Creativity
The Bristol Public Safety Building presented unique engineering challenges that showcased the versatility and strength of ICF construction. “The site that Bristol chose for the new public safety building was a challenging one,” explains Groen. “The existing grade increased significantly from the road to the back of the site.”

The solution required innovative thinking and precise engineering. The building was designed to be built into the sloping hill, with the second level walking out at grade in the back of the building. A 12-inch core ICF wall was used to hold back 12 feet of backfill.
This challenging site condition actually highlighted one of ICF’s key advantages. “With different sections of the building having varying amounts of backfill against them, use of ICF walls from footings to roofline eliminated potential issues that might occur with foundation to wood frame transition at grade,” notes Groen.

The building’s complexity extended beyond site challenges to include seven large overhead garage and apparatus bay door openings, requiring careful structural planning to maintain the building’s integrity while accommodating the substantial openings needed for emergency vehicles.

Weather Challenges and Solutions
New England’s harsh winters presented additional construction challenges that ICF helped overcome. The building incorporated 7,200 square feet of Dow Blueboard Styrofoam insulation for additional thermal performance, creating a super-insulated envelope designed to maximize energy efficiency in New England’s challenging climate.

New England’s harsh winters presented additional construction challenges that ICF helped overcome. Beginning in spring 2023 and extending through the following year, much of the construction occurred during one of the region’s most severe winter seasons, according to Groen.
The ICF construction method demonstrated its advantages during these difficult conditions. By completing the ICF installation by late summer and achieving building enclosure before winter arrived, the team was able to focus on interior work throughout the cold months, Groen notes.

The thermal advantages extended beyond construction efficiency to cost savings. “Shortly after the roof framing was complete, the spray foam insulation was installed in the attic to hold in the heat. This super-insulated shell saved thousands of dollars in temporary heat costs and made the building comfortable to work in for the trades.”

Architectural Excellence and Community Impact
The Bristol Public Safety Building functions as an emergency response center as well as a hub for community engagement, education, and outreach. Designing for all of those uses was challenging.

“The design needed to be able to accommodate the needs of police and fire/rescue in one building, sharing functions and common spaces to save on initial and future operating costs,” he said. The building also needed to incorporate “the latest technologies for public safety and security and be visually appealing for guests. The design met these requirements with architectural features that maintain the traditional aesthetic and charm of this small New England town.”

The structural demands of a public safety building made ICF the logical choice. “With the numerous and large bay openings and the need for this to be a safe haven for emergency personnel, durability and resiliency of this building were paramount,” Groen said. “ICF construction provided the necessary structural integrity while easily accommodating the interior and exterior finishes that make this a welcoming addition to the community.”

Sustainability and Significance
The Bristol Public Safety Building’s ICF construction delivers substantial energy savings that benefit the community’s budget. Fire Chief Ben LaRoche anticipates “a 40 to 50% energy savings annually on the new building, including heating and LED lighting costs, over what was spent for the old police and fire stations,” said Groen, based on the 80% cost savings reported by the town of Farmington, following construction of their new public safety building, completed with Nudura ICF by Groen Construction several years ago.
The building’s design also considers future energy needs since it was designed and constructed to accommodate solar lighting panels on the roof at a later date, if federal funding becomes available.

The Bristol project reinforces ICF’s growing acceptance in the public safety sector. “Utilizing ICFs for this project showcases the resiliency of the technology and shines a light on why it should be used across the industry for these types of community buildings,” he said.
The path to ICF selection for this project began when the Bristol Fire Chief toured a public safety building that Groen built for the town of Farmington, New Hampshire. “He was very impressed and intrigued by the ICF construction,” Groen recalls. Shortly after the visit, he contacted Groen about building a similar structure in Bristol.

Groen’s team made themselves available for numerous town meetings to answer questions and explain the benefits of ICF. “At the end of the day, it was the projected energy savings and long-term durability that convinced the town to vote for and approve the new building,” he said.