84 INTERNATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION
FIRE DETECTION TECHNOLOGY
Gent by Honeywell is continuing its association with
high profile projects in the Spanish city of Bilbao.
Having installed a Gent Vigilon fire alarm network and
integrated Voice Alarm system in the spectacular
Guggenheim Museum, the company is now providing
equipment for the Isozaki Atea Towers, designed by
architect Arata Isozaki, which will be the city's tallest
building and the highest residential mixed-use buildings
project in the Basque Country.
The system will be supplied and commissioned by
DDS, Gent's appointed international partner based in
Madrid and approved distributor for the Iberian
peninsular.
Atea means `gate' in the Basque language, and the
project is intended to be the new entrance to Bilbao,
with two towers forming the gateway. The first of
which will be connected to the nearby Zubizuri Bridge
designed by the architect Santiago Calatrava.
The towers each have 22 storeys, with a total of 254
residential units divided into five different buildings. In
addition 3,753 square metres will be dedicated to retail
space and 1,360 square metres for office space. A
centre for the elderly is also expected to be built in the
future.
The total cost of this project is estimated to be 91
million, with approximately 75,000 worth of Gent fire
equipment required for the first phase.
Gent was selected as the main fire detection brand
with virtually the entire complex protected by Gent's
Vigilon analogue addressable Fire Detection & Alarm
systems.
The Isozaki Tower's fire detection and alarm system
will comprise five Vigilon four-loop control panels with
each loop capable of controlling up to 200 devices. A
mix of S-Quad sensors, having a unique four-in-one
sensing technology, plus integral sounder, speech and
strobe facilities are being used, all in compliance with
the latest relevant BS/EN standards.
The building will benefit from the many advantages
brought by the advanced technology incorporated into
the system. False alarms are dramatically reduced by
the use of a combination of detection techniques within
S-Quad, the device even being capable of distinguishing
between smoke dust and steam, while also
incorporating integral sounder, bell and strobe.
The sounder allows for sophisticated voice messages
to programmed via the Vigilon panels, allowing
multi-lingual instructions to be broadcast in the event of
a fire. This generally aids orderly evacuation, and even
specifically allows for phased evacuation, which helps
avoid panic and confusion by reducing overcrowding in
exit stairwells and passages in the event of an alert.
Also, when the centre for the elderly is ultimately
built, the use of S-Quads with their integral strobes will
make it easier for residents to be quickly aware of an
alert, even if they are hard of hearing, allowing them to
evacuate more quickly in the event of an emergency.
CASE STUDY: Isozaki Atea Towers, Bilbao

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