Events

Fire Safety and Architecture – Direction of Change and Common Issues

Bookings closed

Following the Grenfell Tower disaster and subsequent Hackitt Review, there is a substantial amount of information circulating for architects in terms of Fire Safety design.  Guidance for Fire Safety design of buildings in the UK and Ireland can appear complicated and open to interpretation with many options, grey areas and approvals risks.

RSUA are partnering with Goldsmith Engineering are offering an afternoon seminar to break down the Building Regulations processes and Guidance Documents in use throughout the UK and Ireland, along with a likely way forward in terms of Fire Safety Design (goldsmithengineering.ie). Goldsmith Engineering will also discuss common queries and issues Architects encounter in design and on-site with Fire Safety.

The aim of the seminar is to allow architects to have a clear understanding of their responsibilities under Building Regulations, improve their knowledge in the field of Fire Safety and get answers to some common queries.

Course Content:

• How recent events are changing the regulatory environment in the UK and Ireland (e.g. ‘Raising the Bar’, ‘Golden Thread’ and Competency);
• Common Queries in Fire Safety Design including;
  • External Fire Spread & Facade Design for Fire Safety – New Regulation 7.
  • Evacuation Strategies for Different Occupancies;
  • Ventilation requirements in Fire Design of Buildings, Flats, Atria, Basements, Car Parks and Fire Fighting;
  • Open Plan Flats – Where the Limits Lie; and
  • Structural Fire Protection & Fire Stopping.
• Importance of follow through of expertise to on-site and common errors;
• Changes to the Approvals System in Ireland in 2014 and how it has been working. Design Certifier and Assigned Certifier Roles. Is this a likely route for the UK? Chance to get ahead of the curve;
• What designers can be doing now to improve Fire Safety of Buildings; and
• How the role of Fire Engineer fits into the RIBA Plan of Work.

Speakers

The course is presented by Goldsmith Engineering who provide Fire Engineering, Assigned Certifier, Health & Safety (PSDP) and Access Consultancy services in the UK and Ireland. Goldsmith Engineering have just opened an office in central Belfast with existing offices in Dublin and London.

Eoin Troy

Eoin has recently opened the Belfast Office following 13 years of experience based in London as technical lead for Bureau Veritas (formerly Fusion Fire Engineering). Eoin has worked on over 500 projects across many sectors including the Oval Cricket Ground; International Convention Centre Wales at Celtic Manor; the Royal Exchange; St. Bartholomew’s Hospital and Bedales School.

Luke Goldsmith

Luke created Goldsmith Engineering in 2014, having 14 years experience as a Fire Engineer in Ireland. In the last five years, Goldsmith Engineering has worked on some of Ireland’s most iconic schemes such as the redevelopment of the Cleary’s Department Store on O’Connell Street; Bray Town Centre; Kildare Village; the Royal College of Surgeons and the Facebook HQ in Ballsbridge.

David Quinn

David has recently moved back to Dublin from London where he was Global Head of Fire Engineering at BuroHappold. David has been the lead fire engineer on projects such as the new Tottenham Hotspur Football Stadium and Battersea Power Station and brings a wealth of experience from the UK and Ireland to the team. 

Peter McKay

Peter heads up the Assigned Certifier, Fire Safety Audits, Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP) side of the Business. Peter is a chartered Building Surveyor and has worked with Atkins, National Trust and Aramark in the UK and Ireland. Peter has worked on the new Clearys Redevelopment, ‘O’Connell St.; AIB Bank Centre, Ballsbridge and New Ireland Assurance Building, Dawson St.