The Challenges

Adapting an existing structure
The tower was originally designed for commercial office use. Reconfiguring it for residential occupation required reconsidering fire safety provisions for significantly higher occupancy, different movement patterns, and different risk profiles — all within the constraints of the existing building envelope.

Evacuation routes
Student accommodation demands safe, efficient evacuation for larger numbers of people than a conventional office tenancy. Existing stairs and corridors were not designed for this purpose, so achieving compliance while maintaining usability was a key focus.

Fire resistance of building elements
Some structural and partitioning components did not meet the required fire resistance levels for residential use. Determining which elements could be retained — and which needed upgrading — was critical to feasibility and cost efficiency.

Smoke hazard management
Effective smoke detection and control is essential in high-rise residential buildings. Retrofitting modern systems into an older structure with restricted ceiling and riser capacity created complex design and coordination challenges.

Bloom’s Impact

Tailored evacuation strategy
We developed a performance-based evacuation approach that worked within the building’s physical constraints while ensuring safe and timely egress for future occupants.

Optimised reuse of existing elements
By assessing the fire resistance of existing components, we enabled large portions of the building to be retained. This approach reduced demolition, lowered costs, and reduced waste.

Elevated safety systems
Bloom designed an integrated fire safety package combining sprinklers, detection, and smoke management tailored specifically to residential operation in a high-rise environment.

Enabling sustainable reuse
Our fire engineering solutions unlocked the adaptive reuse potential of an ageing commercial tower into much-needed student accommodation — supporting the developer’s goals while advancing broader sustainability outcomes.