Introduction

Canary Wharf Group (CWG) is the developer and owner of the largest urban regeneration in Europe. Founded over 30 years ago, it has accumulated approximately 9.65 million sq ft of office, residential, retail, leisure and hospitality space across the eminent Canary Wharf estate. CWG own and manage a selection of 8 iconic residential buildings, providing living spaces for 3,500 people in Canary Wharf with future plans aim to more than double this number.

CWG’s vision is to ‘transform urban spaces into extraordinary environments’, they defy the norm of the ‘high-rise’ and not only provide stunning areas for living, working, and shopping, but also safe, secure and sustainable spaces for their residents and community.

Their residential portfolio comprises a number of high-rise residential buildings, ranging from 14 stories to an impressive 58 stories in height. With over 2,288 units CWG not only provide flexible living options, from studio apartments to three-bedroom apartments, but also unique resident amenity spaces including residents’ lounges, terraces, private dining rooms, screening rooms, fully equipped gyms and studios, self-service bars, guest suites, bicycle stores, and a pool.

CWG provided positive feedback that Gerda Security Products went above and beyond to ensure they exceeded fire safety compliance and had best practice as priority throughout their enquiry for High Security Premises Information Box™ Systems.

^{Akiff Rahman, Operations Manager, Vertus (Part of CWG)}

Project Details

From the design stages of the properties to resident occupancy, fire safety is always of upmost priority for CWG. With combination of the height, complex building layouts and the volume of residents throughout their 8 residential properties, CWG have recognised the requirement for bespoke and high specification Emergency Access Systems by Gerda Security Products. To meet exceptional compliance and showcase best practice, they have installed High Security Premises Information Box™ (HSS PIB®C) Systems in Firefighter entrances throughout all 8 sites.

Gerda Security Products Emergency Access Sales Team worked closely with the CWG’s Building Safety Manager to ensure clear, fast, and consistent communication, particularly regarding which PIB® to select, where the PIB® will be installed and what is best practice for the premises across their residential portfolio. The High Security Premises Information Box™ (HSS PIB®C) project aimed to enhance resident and premises safety, provide the Fire and Rescue Service with rapid access to comprehensive building & floor plans in an incident and improve compliance in line with the new Fire Safety (England) 2022 Regulations across all high-rise buildings.

Installed in the internal Firefighter entrances which directly face the main road, The HSS PIB®C was selected for the 8 HRRBs due to being successfully tested to STS205 BR2 (level II), Secured by Design approved and is compliant to the FIA (Fire Industry Association) & NFCC (The National Fire Chief’s Council) Code of Practice as referenced in Approved Document B June 2022 amendments and Fire Safety (England) 2022 Regulation 4, following the recommendations of the Grenfell Inquiry.

For operational use, the HSS PIB®C was developed with firefighters to an exacting specification and is a recognised focal point in the event of an incident. Tying into the CWG ethos of providing safe secure spaces, the ergonomic design of the HSS PIB®C reduces the risk of accidents in public areas, with its bevelled corners. GSP major on safe design principles in all product design. Selecting the High Security PIB® was due to the necessity of high specification Emergency Access Systems in such tall and complex buildings which exceed the requirements of the new regulations.

Results

At Gerda Security Products, we recognise the importance of fostering strong client relationships, and we deeply value customer feedback throughout every stage of our projects, ensuring continuous improvement and client satisfaction.

We received valuable feedback from CWG, confirming that the PIB is exactly what they were looking for. Moreover, that it serves as a reassurance to the Fire & Rescue Service, who regularly visit their premises, to see Gerda Security Products PIB®s installed. GSP are committed to maintaining our high standards of security and accessibility to ensure peace of mind for our clients like CWG. We appreciate CWG’s positive feedback on our PIBs and are pleased to hear that we have met their expectations effectively.

Conclusion

The CWG Premises Information Box™ (PIB®) Project exemplifies a successful collaboration between Gerda Security Products and CWG. By delivering high-quality Emergency Access Systems that prioritise Fire & Rescue Service access, and keep comprehensive building plans secure, Gerda ensured full compliance. The effective communication, and special considerations for end user requirements resulted in high client satisfaction. This project’s success underscores the importance of collaboration between Property Management and Development Companies, alongside Emergency Access Specialist, Gerda Security.

For more information on CWG, please visit www.group.canarywharf.com