MC1 is a publicly commissioned homeland-security facility for the Fire Department of New York City, realized in partnership with the Hudson River Park Trust, and home to Manhattan’s last remaining fireboat company. Situated on Pier 53 along the Hudson River, the project weaves together a complex set of programs, including an existing recycling depot and the promise of a future park. The river itself shapes the design: surging tides, reflected light, shifting winds, and the rhythmic passage of water mark both change and constancy. Rather than erase the traces of the site’s history, the building embraces its rawness and patina, acknowledging time’s passage without nostalgia. Conceived as a carefully articulated extrusion, the structure rises from the pier while registering its depth and presence, with existing piles preserved as a palimpsest of earlier riverfront infrastructures. At the pier level, a drive-through garage and staging area accommodate fire trucks and Special Operations vehicles, while buoy storage integrates with the footprint in a manner that preserves future park sightlines. The 9,000-square-foot facility unfolds vertically: the second level organizes shearing zones that connect yet distinguish the shared activities of the company corps, and the third level houses specialized spaces clustered around the locker-room core. The Hudson’s natural forces—the weather, tides, and constant exposure—become design opportunities. Faceted surfaces respond to both program and environmental conditions, capturing ephemeral qualities of light, shadow, and motion. The scope of work extends beyond the building itself to include a new precast concrete pier, wave-attenuation screens, and mooring elements, ensuring that MC1 is inseparable from the river it inhabits, a structure both resilient and alive with the rhythms of its site.