Transport for NSW

Sector

Government

Location

Macquarie Park, NSW

Transport for NSW, Macquarie Park required a fire engineering solution for a government office fitout – while maintaining the open, collaborative workspace design essential for modern public sector operations.

The project involves the fitout of Levels 7 and 8 of a commercial office building at 7 Harvest Street, Macquarie Park. The scope of works includes flexible work zones, secure tender rooms, meeting/training rooms, a community hub, kitchen and amenities, and a town hall on Level 8. The base building is a multi-storey commercial office tower with basement and mezzanine-level parking, ground-floor retail, and office spaces from Levels 1 to 8. The building features an atrium void that extends from the ground floor to Level 8, with the void at Level 8 being enclosed with glazed construction. Three fire-isolated stairwells serve the upper floors.

Key challenges:

Aggregate egress width of 3.6 metres fell short of the required 4.5 metres for the proposed occupancy of 450 persons per level, with extended travel distances exceeding BCA allowances.
The Level 8 atrium void required fire separation using glazed construction to maintain visibility and open space connectivity while ensuring proper fire safety.
Communications rooms on both levels needed fire protection strategy that avoided water damage to critical IT infrastructure while maintaining effective fire compartmentation.

Key solutions:

Developed performance-based design using computational fluid dynamics and evacuation modelling to justify reduced egress widths and extended distances, supported by occupancy limits and digital monitoring systems.
Enclosed the Level 8 atrium void with fire-rated glazing to prevent smoke and heat transfer while preserving open-plan design intent.
Implemented enhanced fire compartmentation with FRL –/120/120 separation and addressable smoke detectors for communications rooms, replacing traditional sprinkler coverage.

Key outcomes:

Demonstrated compliance with BCA 2019 Amendment 1 through comprehensive Performance Solutions while preserving architectural integrity of the collaborative workspace.
Revised smoke hazard management strategy with Level 8 smoke exhaust system ensuring efficient emergency smoke extraction.
Digital occupancy tracking systems ensuring safe evacuation procedures and preventing overcrowding across both levels.