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Hochiki pandas to WWF’s fire safety

One of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisations, with a global network active in over 100 countries, WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment. It aims to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity and ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable.

Completed and opened in November 2013 by WWF Ambassador, Sir David Attenborough, the £20m Living Planet Centre is at the forefront of sustainable design and construction, incorporating a wide range of renewable energy technologies such as ground source heat pumps and solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. One of the greenest buildings in the UK, it is an impressive timber framed structure that as well as housing WWF’s administrative facilities is also home to the WWF Experience – an exciting interactive exhibition that brings to life the secrets of the natural world and the threats it faces.

Ensuring the safety of the Living Planet Centre’s occupants was a key concern of WWF during the design process. Although the life safety system would obviously need to give the earliest possible warning in the event of a fire, it would also need to be sympathetic to the unique design features and minimise any disruption to the fabric of the building.

With a reputation for excellence as a result of its work on high profile projects across the UK, Cheshire based Fire Bright Solutions, a BAFE accredited Hochiki Systems Partner, was invited to tender for the project and present its recommendations.

The FIRElink-400 aspirating unit consists of an enclosure that houses the electronics that are powered from a supply and a fan inside it that draws air in via four pipes that are connected to the unit. The air that is drawn in then goes into an aspirating chamber after passing through a filter. The air then passes across a laser light source that is projected into the air itself and if enough smoke particles are detected an alarm condition will be activated. All detectors in the FIRElink range have been approved to EN 54-20:2006 Classes A, B & C by LPCB.

Paul Adams, Hochiki Europe’s deputy marketing manager, explains, “Most types of buildings can benefit from having an aspirating fire detection system, but it tends to be particularly useful where an early warning is desirable. The system provides the very highest levels of sensitivity and is able to give warning at the very slightest trace of smoke. This is because aspirating detectors are around 10 times more sensitive than general point detectors.”

Most of the system at the Living Planet Centre is hidden from view, as the majority of the pipework is located in ceiling voids and the roof fabrication. Greeves states, “This aesthetic advantage is achieved without compromising the effectiveness of the system, which is configured around Hochiki Europe’s Enhanced Systems Protocol (ESP) – a robust addressable communications solution for intelligent fire detection and fully integrated systems.”

The system comprises a three-loop advanced MX4403 control panel, which enables a programmed phased evacuation alarm strategy to meet the specific client and local fire authorities' requirements. This is complemented by a wide range of Hochiki Europe devices including 4 FIRElink-400 aspiration detection systems, 63 ALG-EN photoelectric smoke sensors, 16 HCP-E(SCI) call points with integral short-circuit isolators, 11 YBO-BSB base sounder beacons, 39 YBO-BS base sounders and 9 ACB-E multi-heat sensors. The ACB-E’s incorporate a variable temperature heat element and a rate of rise heat element, allowing either thermal element or both elements simultaneously to be active in making the fire decision.

Part of the original car park has also been incorporated into the new building and Hochiki Europe technology has been installed here too in the form of 55 IP67 rated ACB-EW waterproof multi-heat sensors.

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