How to break the rules the RIGHT way - 5 guidelines for designing an atrium for fire safety and architectural vision
Ever seen an atrium designed to ‘Deemed to Satisfy’ (DtS) Provisions of the Building Code of Australia?
We sure haven’t. And the reason is simple. The DtS requirements are so restrictive.
The good news is that it’s entirely possible to build a stunning atrium without compromising the vision you had for your client (architects, we’re looking at you).
The bad news is, if you break one rule in an atrium, things get tricky. And if you break two or even three – the complexity skyrockets.
This is why every atrium we have seen has been fire engineered in some way, shape or form to support architectural vision. So what are the rules that make an atrium work well in fire?
Here are 5 guidelines we’ve discovered after 25+ years and 2100+ projects in the fire safety game.
1. Keep voids similar and stacked throughout the atrium.
If voids don’t align, smoke won’t move predictably (hits the underside of the slabs and ceiling above). That means more complicated smoke control systems.
2. Do not design the fire stairs near the void.
Open atriums act as a pathway for smoke to travel up to the roof exhaust. If stairs are too close, you’re exposing egress paths and that may challenge the atrium design.
3. Do not put obstructions (e.g. stairs, slab projections) in the void.
Obstructions interfere with smoke movement causing it to enter floor plates and making smoke control harder than it needs to be.
4. Try to limit use of natural makeup air.
Natural airflow is incredibly hard to balance, especially as the number of atrium levels increases. This results in different velocities across the louvres and openings.
5. Limit fuel load in the centre of the atrium.
A high fuel load means bigger fires. This could mean specialised suppression systems are needed as conventional sprinklers may not do the job, particularly with a large atrium base. It can also affect the smoke exhaust sizing.
Fire Safety Insight
Here’s the secret. These rules can be bent, others broken. But fair warning if you do…
- Expect a much more complex fire safety strategy, which is harder to test, commission and maintain for the life of the building.
- Expect more reliance on more sophisticated fire and smoke systems including increased infrastructure (cost and spatials).
- Expect computer modelling to be extensive and time consuming (iterative), with results requiring some tweaks and changes to the architectural design.
Our recommendation?
Consider your budget early. Remember, the more rules you break, the more complex and costly the solution (both in terms of design and construction) will be.
All that being said – there’s nothing we like more than the meaty challenge of bending and breaking the rules (the RIGHT way) and pushing the limits of fire safety to meet an architectural vision.
But if you’re simply trying to balance aesthetics with simplicity, adhering to as many of these rules as possible will get you the most straightforward fire safety solution.
Find out how we can help you put Fire Safety First. Book a 60 minute training session over lunch to get your team of PM’s upskilled.
