Fire Protection for Scott Harbour Redevelopment in Cardiff Bay

Transforming a massive commercial space into safe, modern residential and retail units is an incredible architectural feat but it brings a mountain of complex compliance and safety requirements. P.E.S. Fire and Security are proud to highlight our involvement in one of Cardiff Bay’s most ambitious regeneration projects: the conversion of the former Scott Harbour office complex.

Led by Cardiff based Right-acres developments, this 90,000-square-foot, five-storey development has breathed new life, delivering 78 high-quality homes for the social housing market alongside vibrant new ground-floor retail and commercial spaces. Here is a closer look at how P.E.S. Fire and Security designed and installed a state-of-the-art, fully adaptable fire safety network to protect this iconic waterfront landmark.

Office-to-residential conversions are notoriously intricate, particularly regarding fire strategies. The mixed-use nature of Scott Harbour presented several unique challenges:

Varying Demands: Residential apartments, retail shops, and commercial offices all require completely different sounder activation sequences and zone controls to safely manage evacuation.
Undetermined Spaces: The layout and eventual use of the commercial zones were not fully locked in prior to building work starting, meaning the fire alarm system had to be easily reconfigurable down the line.
Extensive Interfacing: The fire safety core needed to seamlessly tie into an array of building infrastructure elements, including sprinkler systems, pumps, Building Management Systems (BMS), access control, solar PV arrays, and Automatic Opening Vents (AOVs).

To meet these demanding specifications, Huvo supplied a system that could offer ultimate versatility, and our team at P.E.S. Fire and Security stepped in to deliver.

We selected Hochiki Europe’s ESP Addressable fire detection range as the backbone of the Scott Harbour infrastructure. Known for its open-protocol design, flexibility, and scalability, this intelligent system gave us the exact toolkit required to overcome the building’s complex layout constraints.

Specialised heat detectors were installed at apartment entrances to safeguard critical corridor escape routes, with direct operations linked to the building’s AOVs to ensure smoke control pathways activate instantly during an emergency.

In a project of this scale, interior blueprints shift constantly. As apartment boundaries were tweaked and commercial divisions adjusted, standard closed-protocol systems would have required expensive, time-consuming wiring redesigns. Hochiki’s open-protocol technology meant we could reconfigure zones via software seamlessly.

"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."

— Martin Truscott, Managing Director at P.E.S. Fire and Security

By deploying this advanced addressable infrastructure, P.E.S. Fire and Security successfully provided:

True Future-Proofing: The open-protocol software means future commercial tenants can alter their layouts or upgrade third-party integrations without vendor lock-in or complete system replacement.
Drastic False Alarm Reduction: In high-density residential and mixed-use spaces, false alarms cause major disruptions. Hochiki's advanced detection technology minimises these instances, keeping tenants safe and preventing unnecessary emergency service call-outs.
Aesthetic Integration: The installed devices blend discreetly into the newly refurbished, high-ceiling interiors, preserving the stunning architectural intent of the waterfront property.

The successful completion of the Scott Harbour development stands as a testament to what can be achieved through clever engineering, robust open-protocol technology, and expert installation. By reusing the existing structural footprint and layering it with advanced life safety systems, Cardiff Bay now boasts an environmentally efficient, incredibly safe affordable housing asset.

Whether you are managing a high-profile office conversion, a multi-site commercial space, or an industrial complex in Cardiff, Swansea, or across South Wales, P.E.S. Fire and Security has the accredited expertise to safeguard your assets.

Reviewed by Martin Truscott, Director, P.E.S. Fire & Security Systems