Jane Embury looks at fire compartmentation in new tall buildings The 20th anniversary of 9/11 is fast approaching. In the wake of the Twin Towers, their replacement, the One World Trade Center opened in 2014. Although 9/11 was a manmade disaster, the Grenfell Tower fire again underlines that tragedies in tall buildings do happen. In […]
fire safety
The architecture of fear
Jane Embury looks at the threat of explosive attack Architecture and urban planning have evolved over the centuries as countries and communities have responded to potential threat. The earliest communities sought shelter and protection in caves. From ancient Egypt onwards, architecture has not only been about comfort and convenience but defensive capability. Nowadays, we might […]
A culture of safety
Jane Embury, director, looks at the culture of fire safety Over the years, fire deaths in the UK have decreased dramatically. In 2001/02 there were 583 deaths. In 2018/19, 318. Last year, during lockdown, it was 243. Many of those deaths happened in residential properties, but not all. That’s why we must keep a clear focus […]
Simpler planning = better planning?
Jane Embury, director, asks whether a rush to build will lead to a better built environment The UK government has announced major reform to the planning system. Critics of the current system say that it’s unwieldy, cumbersome and takes too long time for decisions to be made. In response, the government wants significant deregulation, something […]
Building compartments from glass
In the first part of this article, Jane Embury, looked at the growing culture of fire safety. Here she looks more closely at compartmentation. Effective fire safety provides safe evacuation and the minimum of financial loss. In turn, that better ensures business continuity. The key to achieving that is compartmentation, with fire contained in a […]
