Coventry University Learning Resource Centre, Coventry, Warwickshire, UK

Site Details:
The University specified an energy efficient and low maintenance building which would provide research and study facilities for over 17,000 students. The novel solution was to reject air conditioning and design the building around the use of natural ventilation which has a major influence on the fire protection system.

Designed on a 50 square metre plan, the building is equipped with lightwells to supply natural light and ventilation, boosted by a number of chimneys. Air enters through a supply plenum and travels into four corner lightwells where it is heated so it will rise and then directed onto each floor via low-level dampers. High-level dampers exhaust the air into a central lightwell or to the perimeter stacks. To control the airflow, there are no openable windows. Instead the windows and glazed roof are equipped with motor-actuated vents.

The building was designed as one huge continuous fire compartment which goes against every rule of fire safety, particularly the ability to contain the spread of smoke and heat long enough for safe evacuation. The local fire authority insisted that the building's fire system was designed to meet L1 specification under BS5839 Part 1. Under this rating, every area must be protected by an automatic fire detection system, including all escape routes.

Technical Details:
The fire system contains over 350 XP95 optical and ionisation detectors arranged over five loops and controlled by a Morley ZXE panel.

XP95 Input/Output Units were also incorporated into the University's alarm management system. These units enable the fire system to instruct the library's management system to operate air dampers and vents in a predetermined emergency sequence.