Project challenges
ICONIC BUILDING:
Any new fire system had to be sympathetic to the fabric of the building which was used for formal college entertaining as well as a full-time family dwelling.
solution: The new system could not be wireless, so with D&Ts extensive experience of Oxford colleges, a standalone system was designed in compliance with all existing legislation.
OLD HARD-WIRED ALARM SYSTEM:
The previous fire system dated back to the 1960s and had been built into the fabric of the building so needed to be carefully removed.
solution: D&T is accustomed to removing old systems with a minimum of disruption. Everything was undertaken in-house with no sub-contractors, ensuring a finish of the very highest quality.
TIGHT TIME SCHEDULE:
Darke & Taylor (D&T) had just two weeks to design, install and commission a new fire alarm system before the new Warden moved into the building, there was no room for any overruns.
solution: A Pre-start Meeting was undertaken to fact find and identify potential issues before a schedule of works was submitted to ensure full transparency.
FUTURE-PROOFING:
Merton wished to future-proof the Lodgings as much as possible. This meant that any other works had to be carried out during the same two week period whilst the property was vacant.
solution: D&T was able to simultaneously carry out a full EICR (test & inspection of all electrical sockets) as well as a network data installation to ensure high speed connectivity throughout the property.
“Any new fire system had to be sympathetic to the fabric of the building which was used for formal college entertaining as well as a fulltime family dwelling.”
