Victoria Wharf

Project title: Victoria Wharf

Location: Cardiff

Value: £220,000.00

Duration: 24 Months

Project Background

The Victoria Wharf project included the development of a brownfield site in Cardiff’s Grangetown area, adjacent to the mouth of the Ely River. The site was developed into a residential site in three phases with a total of 478 apartments being constructed. Group SCS was appointed to install its uniVent System in all seven residential apartment blocks of the Bryant Homes Victoria Wharf Development in Cardiff Bay.

The Project

The Client

Group SCS worked with the construction company Taylor Woodrow and Cardiff City Council Building Control to deliver a cost effective smoke management system. In the early stages of the project we liaised with HMA Architects on the design of Victoria Wharf enabling the omission of fire fighting lobbies in each of the seven apartment blocks.

Our Involvement

Group SCS employed a lean construction consultant to work with their team in liaison with Taylor Woodrow and Bailey Electrical to analyse the delivery of the uniVent system, particularly the site co-ordination and installation.

Our Solution

Group SCS installed its uniVent standard smoke shaft system throughout Victoria Wharf which resulted in a low cost, low maintenance solution with predictable final costs. There has not been a single variation to date on the project and no additional costs. SCS installed safety grids for smoke shafts prior to construction of the shaft, which eliminated a potential fall hazard and saved the cost of scaffold within the shaft. In addition, we combined stairwell ventilator/access hatch was used for every stairwell at Victoria Wharf, instead of the separate vent and access hatch originally proposed, saving the cost of the access hatch.

UniVent standard smoke shaft system

Safety grids for smoke shafts prior to construction of the shaft

Group SCS's combined stairwell ventilator/access hatch was used for every stairwell

Kevin Hibbs, Regional Design Manager Taylor Woodrow Construction:

“This is the first, possibly the only Type Approved naturally ventilated smoke management system in the UK. It has been developed by working collaboratively and is due in part to the excellent relationship we have with the Council’s Senior Building Control Officer, Graham Bond, and his team, who we have worked very closely with on the whole development.”