Converting a 90,000 square foot office building into 78 residential apartments alongside retail and commercial space is not a straightforward specification brief. At Scott Harbour in Cardiff Bay, the fire safety challenge was compounded by evolving layouts, undefined commercial end-uses, and the need to integrate with a wide range of existing building services. The system needed to be compliant from day one and genuinely reconfigurable as the project developed.
Specified by Huvo and installed by P.E.S. Fire and Security, the Hochiki ESP Addressable range was selected because it offered something beyond standard compliance: open protocol architecture that avoided vendor lock-in, and the flexibility to interface with third-party systems without redesigning the detection strategy each time the brief changed.
The complexity of the building's fire strategy required nuanced coverage. Specialised Hochiki heat detectors were installed at apartment entrances to protect corridor escape routes, with direct operation of Automatic Opening Vents as part of the engineered fire strategy. Mixed sounder activation requirements across residential, office, and retail areas demanded targeted responses rather than blanket coverage.
Integration was equally demanding. The fire detection system needed to connect with sprinklers, pumps, Building Management Systems, access control and Solar PV infrastructure. For a specifier working across those disciplines, an open protocol system is not a preference; it is a practical necessity. Hochiki's ESP range made that coordination achievable without tying the project to a single supplier for its operational life.
That futureproofing proved its value throughout the build. As apartment layouts changed and commercial configurations remained undecided, the ESP system absorbed those modifications without requiring full rewiring or redesign. Martin Truscott, Managing Director at P.E.S. Fire and Security, confirmed this in practice: "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 project's evolving requirements, without needing a complete redesign of the overall system wiring."
The aesthetic dimension was also a factor on a development of this profile. Hochiki devices are designed to sit discreetly within modern interiors, a consideration that carries weight when residential quality and commercial appeal are central to the brief.
Scott Harbour illustrates what specifiers increasingly need from a fire detection system: not just compliance, but genuine adaptability. Where a development is complex and the brief is likely to shift, open protocol systems with configurable detection and interface capability reduce both risk and cost over the project lifecycle.
Learn more and discuss how Hochiki ESP can support your next specification.
