We take a performance-based design approach to fire safety, allowing your project to achieve the performance objectives of the relevant building codes while providing flexibility in the building design for operational requirements and architectural design.
With extensive experience across all aspects of fire and life safety in new and existing buildings, we have strong relationships with relevant authorities. This makes the stakeholder engagement easier and reduces risk.
While we’re a specialised group, we work closely with our colleagues in other engineering disciplines to provide holistic and integrated design solutions, across all market sectors.
Our key services
Compliance and strategy
- Code compliance and regulatory strategy – guidance to meet all relevant building codes and regulatory requirements across global jurisdictions, where relevant
- Performance‑based solutions – support departures from prescriptive standards, unlocking design flexibility and improved commercial outcomes
- Authority and stakeholder engagement – early and ongoing liaison to streamline approvals and mitigate project risk
- Global insights – leverage best‑practice knowledge from our worldwide fire-engineering network.
Fire risk, audit and assurance
- Fire-safety audits – detailed reviews of existing assets to verify fire safety compliance and identify improvement actions
- Fire-risk assessments and special hazard assessments – for hazards that sit outside of the building codes including for emerging technologies such as electric vehicle charging and battery storage systems
- Due‑diligence and acquisition advisory – fire‑safety audits and reviews to inform asset transactions and portfolio reviews
- Post‑occupancy evaluations – independent verification that fire strategies perform as intended in use.
Design and modelling
- Fire-safety strategies – holistic and integrated fire life‑safety solutions, aligned with architectural vision and commercial objectives
- Advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite‑element modelling – fire, smoke and heat transfer analysis to optimise mechanical and structural design
- Evacuation and crowd movement modelling – predictive occupant flow analysis for safe, efficient egress
- Rationalisation of fire resistance levels – strategic optimisation of fire resistance levels to reduce cost or improve constructability
- Smoke hazard management – smoke control strategies including natural and mechanical, to maximise design flexibility and maintain required safety levels
- Peer review – independent technical review and verification of third‑party fire engineering work.
Specialist capabilities
- Modular and prefabricated construction – bespoke fire strategies and guidance for off‑site construction methods
- Mass timber and hybrid structures – fire engineering for timber structural systems, backed by technical assessment and analysis
- Industrial and hazardous facilities – battery energy storage, process plants and other high‑hazard occupancies
- Transport infrastructure – tunnels, rail stations and aviation facilities, including smoke control and evacuation optimisation
- Heritage and cultural assets – sensitive fire strategies that protect irreplaceable fabric while enabling modern use.
Construction support
- Construction phase advisory – site attendance and guidance to ensure design intent is maintained on site
- Staging strategies – fire safety planning for phased construction and partial occupancy
- Witness testing and verification – on‑site functional performance testing and certification support.
