Fire safety and security specialist, WLS, has completed a complex installation at 160 Aldersgate, a £48 million refurbishment by McLaren Construction involving transformation of a tired 1980s building into 266,000 sqft of Grade A office space.
WLS installed smoke detectors and alarms as part of the Cat A electrical fit out for the whole building, designing the installation to enable extensions and additions to the core system to suit occupier requirements.
The company also completed the fire safety installation for all pre-let areas of the building, aligned to a phased evacuation strategy that will maximise personal safety in the event of a fire while reducing business interruption and the potential for false alarms.
WLS integrated the fire detection and alert system with a PAVA (public address and voice alarm) system, ensuring safety and evacuation messages are audible in all locations. The fully-programmable system has been integrated with a number of other elements of the mechanical and electrical installation to aid access and egress, manage smoke and minimise additional hazards based on cause and effect scenario planning.
The security system combines access control, digital video and intruder alarm in a single, scalable system, with dedicated software to enable bespoke programming of all locations for restricted employee and visitor access.
WLS also designed and installed a high-performance CCTV system for the building with HD CCTV hardware and IP Ethernet-based image delivery to the control room via Cat 5 cable networks. WLS installed the server, the PC monitoring stations and the software for the CCTV system, with installation of the cameras themselves simplified by the use of an IP-based system.
WLS was also responsible for fit out of the control room, which sits at the heart of the life safety systems and contains the monitoring control panels for the ATS (automatic transfer switches), the smoke extract system, the fire alarm system, the smoke damper status panel, the CCTV, the disabled refuge control panel, and the sprinkler status panel and the PAVA control system.
Jeremey Ewen from WLS commented, “We designed the safety and security installation for this building around the need to keep the occupiers safe and secure, with a fully integrated approach to considering every eventuality.
“Our approach has also taken account of the occupiers’ commercial priorities, ensuring that business continuity and futureproofing are both built in.”
