Introduction

The UNSW Health Translation Hub, situated on High Street in Randwick, is a landmark project within the Randwick Health and Innovation Precinct - an ambitious development designed to connect academic, clinical, and research expertise in a single, world-class facility. This state-of-the-art building stands as a testament to the evolving demands of modern healthcare and medical research, integrating flexible teaching spaces, advanced laboratories, clinical areas, and collaborative environments for students, researchers, and healthcare professionals alike. The architectural vision for the UNSW Health Translation Hub was bold and innovative, characterised by a striking, multi-storey atrium that physically and visually connected four levels of the building, from the ground floor through to Level 3. This atrium formed the heart of the facility, a space where collaboration and interaction could thrive, fostering a sense of openness and shared purpose. However, the inclusion of this expansive void presented significant fire safety challenges - chiefly, the need to achieve compliant fire separation between levels while preserving the architectural intent of openness and connectivity. The challenge lay in ensuring that the atrium could remain a light-filled, dynamic space without compromising the safety of building occupants or falling short of the strict requirements of the National Construction Code (NCC).

It was within this context that Greene Fire was engaged to deliver a bespoke, high-performance fire curtain solution, capable of addressing the complex fire engineering challenges of the project while aligning with the architectural vision. The result was the design, supply, and installation of a tailored fire curtain system using the FireMaster Concertina - a cutting-edge solution that redefined what was possible in terms of fire compartmentation within an open-plan, multi-storey building.

The Fire Safety Challenge

The atrium within the UNSW Health Translation Hub spanned from the ground floor to Level 3, connecting four levels of the building in a continuous, unbroken void. Under standard Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions of the NCC, an atrium of this size and configuration would typically trigger more stringent fire separation requirements under Part G3 of the Code, significantly restricting design flexibility and potentially altering the entire architectural approach. The key issue was the risk of vertical fire and smoke spread, which could compromise occupant safety and the integrity of escape routes in the event of a fire. To address this, MCD Fire Engineering developed a Performance Solution that sought to limit the vertical spread of fire and smoke by introducing a fire separation system at Level 3, effectively converting the atrium into a three-storey void for the purposes of compliance. This approach required a fire barrier capable of fully enclosing the atrium at Level 3 in the event of an alarm condition, while also accommodating the architectural complexities of the space - including irregular geometries, angled walls, and curved sections - without introducing intrusive structural elements or altering the open-plan design. The solution also needed to seamlessly integrate with the building’s smoke control and pressurisation systems, egress paths, and essential services, ensuring that all systems worked in harmony to protect occupants and preserve the architectural intent. This was not a typical fire protection challenge; it demanded a level of precision, technical expertise, and collaboration across disciplines rarely seen on projects of this scale. Greene Fire’s task was to design a fire curtain system that could meet these challenges head-on while ensuring complete compliance with the NCC, relevant Australian Standards, and the project’s fire engineering performance requirements.

The FireMaster Concertina Solution

The centrepiece of Greene Fire’s solution was the FireMaster Concertina - a flexible, fire barrier system engineered to deploy on demand and create a fully enclosed fire compartment. Unlike traditional rigid fire barriers or fixed walls, the Concertina system could conform to complex shapes, curves, and angles, making it uniquely suited to the geometry of the UNSW Health Translation Hub’s atrium. At Level 3, Greene Fire designed and installed a large, continuous FireMaster Concertina fire curtain that fully enclosed the perimeter of the atrium void. This curtain was engineered to precise dimensions, following the exact contours of the atrium’s architectural design. Its complex shape required extensive collaboration with the design and construction teams to ensure seamless integration into the ceiling spaces, maintaining aesthetic consistency while ensuring no gaps or discontinuities could compromise fire performance. The curtain was engineered to achieve a Fire Resistance Level (FRL) of -/120/-, tested in accordance with AS1530.4, ensuring its capability to withstand 120 minutes of fire exposure without structural failure or loss of compartmentation integrity. To support the functionality of the Level 3 barrier, two additional vertical fire curtains were installed on Levels 1 and 2. These curtains provided critical separation between the lower levels of the atrium, ensuring that the vertical void could be subdivided in a fire event to prevent the rapid spread of smoke and flames. Like the Concertina system at Level 3, these curtains were fully integrated into the building’s fire detection and alarm systems, programmed to deploy automatically upon receipt of a fire signal from strategically placed smoke detectors located within 1.5 metres on either side of the curtains. This ensured rapid and reliable activation in the early stages of a fire, providing vital time for occupants to evacuate safely.

Integration with Building Systems

One of the most complex aspects of the project was the coordination between the fire curtain system and the building’s broader fire safety infrastructure. The UNSW Health Translation Hub was equipped with a sophisticated smoke control and zone pressurisation system designed to manage airflow and maintain safe evacuation routes in the event of a fire. For the fire curtains to function effectively, it was essential that they deploy and achieve full closure before the pressurisation system activated, avoiding any interference or distortion caused by air pressure differentials. To address this, Greene Fire worked closely with the mechanical services contractors and fire engineering consultants to program a time delay into the building’s fire sequence. This delay, typically between 30 and 60 seconds, allowed the fire curtains to fully deploy and seal the atrium openings before the pressurisation fans engaged. Extensive commissioning and testing were undertaken to calibrate this sequence, ensuring that the curtains deployed smoothly under all conditions and maintained a minimum clear egress width of 1 metre, accounting for any fabric bellowing effects due to pressure differences. The fire curtain system was also designed with robust redundancy measures. The curtains were powered via the building’s essential services switchboard, ensuring they could operate under mains power, but were also backed by a two-hour battery or generator supply to guarantee deployment in the event of a power failure. Obstruction detection systems were recessed into the ceiling perimeter, monitoring the curtain drop zones and providing an audible, localised voice alarm -“WARNING, PLEASE REMOVE OBSTRUCTION” – if an item was left in place for more than five minutes. This feature was critical in maintaining system reliability and ensuring that deployment would not be impeded by furniture or other obstructions.

Performance Verification and Compliance

The fire curtain system underwent rigorous testing and verification as part of the commissioning process. The FireMaster Concertina system’s measured leakage rate, assessed at 3.1m³/m²/hr under AS1530.7 conditions (200°C and 25Pa), was factored into the building’s mechanical system design to ensure that the required pressurisation differential of 10Pa could be maintained across the atrium zones. The system’s performance was validated in conjunction with the building’s smoke control systems, with full-scale deployment tests confirming that the curtains could deploy within the programmed sequence and maintain egress requirements. The installation formed a critical part of the building’s Essential Fire Safety Measures, with bi-annual testing and maintenance procedures implemented to ensure ongoing compliance. The fire curtains were also listed as a Critical Fire Safety Measure on the building’s Fire Safety Schedule, underscoring their importance in the overall fire safety strategy for the UNSW Health Translation Hub.

Conclusion

The UNSW Health Translation Hub project stands as a benchmark for innovation in fire safety design and delivery, demonstrating how advanced technologies like the FireMaster Concertina system can enable architects and designers to push the boundaries of what is possible in large, complex buildings. Greene Fire’s involvement in this project exemplifies the company’s commitment to delivering bespoke, high-performance fire safety solutions that meet the most demanding technical and compliance standards while supporting the vision and intent of landmark architectural projects. By integrating cutting-edge fire curtain technology with the building’s fire engineering strategy, mechanical systems, and architectural design, Greene Fire delivered a solution that not only met the stringent safety requirements of the NCC but also preserved the open, collaborative spirit at the heart of the UNSW Health Translation Hub’s design. The successful delivery of this project reflects the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders – designers, engineers, builders, and fire safety specialists – working together to create a building that is as safe as it is inspiring.