45 Dudley Street, NSW

Sector

Residential, hotel & mixed-use

Location

Sydney, NSW

The project at 45 Dudley Street, Coogee, is a four-storey residential apartment building designed to meet modern living standards while ensuring compliance with fire safety regulations.

Situated in a high-density urban setting, the development incorporated basement car parking and integrated performance-based fire engineering solutions to address key fire safety challenges. Given the proximity of the site boundary to unprotected openings, as well as reduced egress widths in the fire-isolated stairways, tailored performance solutions were developed to meet the Building Code of Australia (BCA) requirements while maintaining architectural integrity and functional efficiency.

Key challenges:

Safety and compliance: Unprotected openings within 3 metres of a fire source feature (site boundary) required alternative fire protection measures.
Architectural constraints: The fire-isolated stairway featured a reduced width of 957mm instead of the required 1000mm, necessitating a fire engineering solution.
Sustainability considerations: Selection of fire-resistant materials that also aligned with sustainability objectives.
Cost-efficiency: Ensuring fire safety compliance without excessive construction cost escalation.
Technical complexity: Balancing fire protection measures with structural and aesthetic design requirements.

Key solutions:

Fire-resistant external openings: Performance-based solutions were implemented to mitigate fire spread risks associated with unprotected openings, ensuring compliance with BCA Clause C3.2.
Alternative egress strategy: A comprehensive fire engineering analysis demonstrated that a stair width of 957mm still met safety performance requirements, supporting compliance with BCA DP6.
Material selection: Use of fire-resistant glazing and compartmentalisation strategies to enhance fire protection while maintaining environmental efficiency.
Optimised fire safety design: Integration of automatic smoke detection, fire compartmentation, and emergency lighting to ensure occupant safety.
Enhanced fire brigade access: Compliance with intervention strategies ensuring firefighters had effective access and egress during emergencies.

Key outcomes:

Achieved compliance: The performance-based solutions met all relevant BCA Performance Requirements.
Preserved architectural integrity: Fire engineering strategies were seamlessly integrated into the building design.
Enhanced occupant safety: Implementation of fire-resistant materials and optimised egress solutions improved fire safety outcomes.
Sustainable fire engineering practices: Selection of energy-efficient fire safety systems and materials reduced environmental impact.
Cost-effective compliance: The solutions balanced safety requirements with project budget constraints.

The fire engineering strategies implemented at 45 Dudley Street, Coogee, successfully addressed key fire safety challenges while ensuring regulatory compliance. Through innovative fire protection measures, the project achieved a balance between safety, design, and sustainability. This development sets a benchmark for performance-based fire engineering solutions in urban residential buildings.

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