Scott Harbour

 

 

 

Scott Harbour, an office complex in Cardiff Bay, is undergoing a transformation led by Rightacres Property Company Limited. The ambitious project aimed to convert the 90,000 square foot, five-storey building into 78 quality residential apartments for the social housing market, alongside retail and commercial spaces. Ensuring a robust, adaptable, and compliant fire safety system was paramount.

 

To achieve this, Hochiki Europe's ESP Addressable fire detection range was expertly installed by P.E.S. Fire and Security and specified by Huvo (formerly Discount Fire Supplies).

The Scott Harbour conversion presented intricate fire safety challenges, primarily due to its future mixed-use nature and the flexibility required around the commercial areas, demanding a highly flexible fire detection strategy. P.E.S. Fire and Security, with Huvo's specification, selected the Hochiki solution for its inherent advantages.

 

The complexities were multifaceted: mixed residential, office, and retail spaces meant varying requirements for sounder activation. Hochiki's flexible product range provided the diverse solutions needed, including specialised heat detectors for apartment entrances to safeguard main corridor escape routes, with direct operation of Automatic Opening Vents (AOVs) – a crucial part of the building's fire strategy.

 

With the non-residential areas use not determined prior to commencement on site, the selected system needed to be readily reconfigured. Hochiki's open protocol proved invaluable, offering essential futureproofing and flexibility for straightforward integration with various third-party systems, avoiding vendor lock-in.

Aesthetic considerations were vital for the high-profile development. The discreet design of Hochiki devices ensured aesthetic harmony, blending seamlessly with the modern interior.
Extensive interfacing was also critical; the fire system needed to connect with numerous building systems including sprinklers, pumps, Building Management Systems (BMS), access control, and Solar PV. The ESP range's inherent flexibility and open protocol enabled this seamless integration, establishing a fully integrated safety infrastructure.

 

One of the key benefits of the system employed was its ability to permit changes and to allow tweaks to apartment layouts. The Hochiki system’s ease of installation and inherent adaptability were pivotal in overcoming this. Martin Truscott, Managing Director from P.E.S. Fire and Security commented:

"Hochiki's ESP range made installation remarkably easy, especially when faced with the continual changes to the layout. This flexibility allowed us to adapt to the projects evolving requirements, without needing a complete redesign of the overall system wiring."

This flexibility enabled by the Hochiki devices, empowered P.E.S fire & Security Ltd to accommodate ongoing changes without needing a complete redesign or re-wiring, significantly mitigating potential delays and costs.

 

The Hochiki ESP system proved central to overcoming the Scott Harbour conversion's challenges. Its adaptability to any future change was paramount, ensuring efficient project progression despite ongoing design modifications. The system will deliver comprehensive coverage and control, effectively managing the complex fire strategy with targeted detection and sounder activation. Hochiki's advanced detection technology will also reduce false alarms, a crucial benefit in a busy, mixed-use environment.

 

The Scott Harbour project demonstrates the adaptability of Hochiki Europe's ESP Addressable range and overtime will also demonstrate its reliability. Through close collaboration, Hochiki provided a robust, flexible, and truly future-proof fire detection solution.