Llys Jasmine was built for Wales & West Housing in partnership with Flintshire County Council.
Ecotect worked with MAC Projects to deliver the Greyflow® Fire Sprinkler System, which collects and distributes harvested rainwater to selected WCs as well serving the fire sprinklers.
The system is designed and installed to BS 9251: 2005 residential standard (which predates the current 2014 version of the standard). Water is supplied from a 36 cbm concrete rainwater harvesting tank with a submersible pump. It is located under the gardens.
Connection to toilets gives the additional benefits of knowing that the sprinkler system remains switched on, and provides an early warning should the system or the pumps not be working.
The sprinkler alarm system is activated by flow switches situated on each floor level which are interfaced into the main fire panel.
The £8.3m scheme, part funded by a Social Housing Grant from the Welsh Government, comprises 61 apartments (33 one bedroom, 28 two bedroom). Fifteen of the purpose-built apartments are specifically designed for people with dementia and located in one area of the site. BREEAM experts, Carpenter Davies Partnership, consulted on this project.
SUSTAINABILITY
In addition to providing essential fire protection for vulnerable residents, the Greyflow® system is environmentally friendly on three levels:
1. It harvests rainwater for domestic use and fire sprinkler protection. Approximately 45% of our water consumption need NOT be of drinking water quality, therefore properties designed in this way impact less on scarce water resources.
2. It guards against the stagnant water that rests in many other types of sprinkler system.
3. Thirdly, and this point applies to ALL fire sprinkler systems: the system is inherently eco-friendly. In the event of fire, not only is less water used (typically 10-20 times less water than the Fire Service would need to apply), but also, by acting early on, the sprinkler system minimises the polluting effects of the fire, whether from smoke or fire service runoff.
