2 Park Street, NSW

Sector

Office & Commerical

Location

Sydney, NSW

The project involved a commercial office fitout on Level 19 of the building at 2 Park Street, Sydney NSW.

The existing high-rise office tower comprised over 40 levels of office spaces, and the fitout sought to introduce a performance-based fire safety design to support non-compliances with the Deemed-to-Satisfy (DtS) provisions of the Building Code of Australia (BCA). The key challenge revolved around extended egress travel distances, necessitating a Performance Solution to ensure safe evacuation while maintaining the design intent of the fitout.

Key challenges:

Extended egress travel distances: The proposed layout exceeded the BCA DtS limits, with distances extending up to 55m to an exit, instead of 40m, and 75m between alternative exits, instead of 60m.
Occupant load management: Ensuring that the maximum occupancy of 170 persons on Level 19 was maintained to mitigate risks associated with the extended travel distances.
Fire detection and suppression integration: Coordinating the upgraded fire detection system and automatic fire sprinklers with the base building’s infrastructure.
Wayfinding and emergency signage: Implementing compliant emergency lighting and exit signage to support safe egress under extended travel distance conditions.
Building management responsibilities: Ensuring tenants developed and implemented a fire safety management plan to control fire load build-up and conduct regular safety inspections

Key solutions:

Performance-based egress design: A fire engineering assessment demonstrated that the extended travel distances did not negatively impact Required Safe Egress Time (RSET), ensuring safe occupant evacuation.
Occupancy control measures: A strict occupant limit of 170 persons on Level 19 was implemented, with monitoring required to validate compliance.
Enhanced fire suppression and detection: Existing sprinklers remained compliant with AS 2118.1-1995, with upgrades in new fitout areas to meet AS 2118.1-2017. Smoke detection was enhanced per AS 1670.1-2018.
Optimised emergency lighting and signage: Emergency lighting and exit signage were upgraded to meet AS 2293.1-2018, facilitating occupant wayfinding during evacuation.
Fire safety management plan: Tenants were required to implement fire safety protocols, ensuring proper risk mitigation and adherence to occupancy limits.

Key outcomes:

Demonstrated compliance with BCA performance requirements: The fire engineering assessment confirmed compliance with BCA DP4 (Exits) and EP2.2 (Safe Evacuation Routes).
Safe and efficient occupant evacuation: The RSET for the performance solution design was shown to be equivalent or better than a BCA DtS-compliant scenario.
Seamless integration with base building fire safety systems: Upgraded fire detection, suppression, and egress systems complemented existing building infrastructure without requiring major modifications.
Preserved design intent of the fitout: The performance solution enabled the intended layout without compromising safety, maintaining architectural flexibility.
Sustainable and cost-effective fire safety management: The project incorporated efficient fire safety solutions without unnecessary structural interventions.

This fitout project at 2 Park Street, Sydney, sets a high standard for performance-based fire safety design in commercial office spaces. Through strategic fire engineering solutions, the project successfully balances compliance, occupant safety, and design flexibility. The approach taken demonstrates how advanced fire engineering methodologies can optimise safety while ensuring efficient use of space in high-rise commercial environments.

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