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One building, many spaces: what Smart Tower in Sofia shows about fire detection specification

By Petia Simeonova, Regional Sales Manager, Hochiki Europe

Mixed-use development is changing how fire detection is specified in Bulgaria. A single development can now bring together homes, shops, offices and underground parking and each of those spaces asks something different of a fire detection system. At the first Bulgarian Security Summit at the end of October, this was one of the subjects our team discussed most with specifiers and system designers. The question was simple: how do you design one system that works well in every part of the building?

The Smart Tower development in central Sofia gives a clear answer.

Real world examples

Earlier this year Hochiki devices were installed in Sofia’s Smart Tower development, a mixed-use site of more than 60,000 square metres. It is made up of two connected blocks, with apartments and commercial space above an underground car park. The developer, Central District Ltd, appointed Sectron to take full responsibility for the life safety systems, Hochiki has been Sectron’s partner in Bulgaria for over 30 years.

Matching detection to each space

In the main areas of the building, Sectron specified Hochiki’s ESP intelligent addressable system with 2,887 ACC-EN multi-sensor detectors. Each detector combines a heat sensor with a photoelectric smoke chamber and its sensitivity can be adjusted to suit the space. The addressable system shows the exact location of any alarm on one panel. The ACC-EN is certified to EN 54-5, EN 54-7 and EN 54-29 (the standard for smoke and heat combined).

Within the apartments, Sectron used Hochiki’s CDX range of optical smoke and heat detectors. These connect back to the main addressable system through CHQ single zone monitors, so the panel reports the status of the apartment zones alongside the rest of the building. This allows the building management team to see the whole development from one place. The CDX optical smoke detectors are certified to EN 54-7 and the heat detectors to EN 54-5.

The underground car park needed a different approach. Vehicle exhaust and high airflow can make point smoke detection unreliable in this kind of space, so Sectron installed Hochiki’s Linear Heat Detection Cable, which detects heat along its full length and certified to EN 54-22.

Elena Pencheva, Design Engineer at Sectron, explained what made this combination possible: “The open-protocol capabilities provided ultimate flexibility when integrating multiple, tailored solutions, this was a key consideration when designing the system”.

What this means for specifiers

Every device at Smart Tower is certified to the EN 54 part that covers the job it does. That is the starting point for good specification. The next step is to make sure each certified product suits the conditions of the space it protects and that all of them report to one system the building team can manage with confidence.

That approach also benefits the people who live and work in the building. Spas Stoyanov, Project Manager at Sectron, said the system “reduces false alarms for occupants in the building.” The smaller details mattered too. Sectron chose white devices to suit the modern interiors and planned the installation to keep disruption for residents low.

In my view, this is the approach that will serve Bulgaria’s new mixed-use buildings best. Start with the conditions in each space and choose certified detection to match. Then bring everything together on one system that can grow with the building.

Continuing the conversation

Thank you to everyone who visited our team at the Bulgarian Security Summit. If you are working on a project in Bulgaria and would like to continue the conversation, myself and the wider Hochiki team is here to help. You can contact us through the Hochiki Europe website.

Hochiki has worked in Bulgaria for over 30 years. Together with partners such as Sectron, we look forward to supporting the developments now being planned across the country.