After the Italian hotel and spa, Corte Regia Relais, underwent a huge transformation in 2020, installer, Cressoni Impianti Tecnolgici, chose Hochiki Italia as the manufacturer for its new fire detection and life safety system. The aim of the renovation was to conserve the building and improve its functional use, while maintaining the original integrity and structure.
As part of the project, a fully compliant fire detection and life safety system was to be designed and installed throughout the hotel’s luxury rooms and spa. The biggest challenge with the project was the fact that the hotel was a listed historical building. The original stone walls date from the 800s, and the ceilings with wooden beams had to be kept. This made the wiring for the project complex, hence the need for a wireless solution.
To keep with the aesthetics of the building, and to minimise additional building changes, the Hochiki Italia team worked closely to collaborate with the installer and the architect to satisfy the client’s request to be sympathetic and respect the historical building.
Hochiki’s ESP range and Ekho wireless systems were both chosen for installation. Products from the ESP range included multi-heat sensors, intelligent photoelectric smoke sensors with short circuit isolators and high performing chamber technology. This allowed for sensor threshold levels to be increased, thereby improving the signal to noise ratio which reduced the susceptibility to costly false alarms happening within the hotel.
The hybrid system utilises the latest MESH net technology to provide the client with absolute and an economic wireless fire system installation with the minimum of disturbance to the surroundings – particularly important in keeping to the aesthetics of the Corte Regia Relais and Spa where installation of fire cabling would have been difficult, overly expensive or even prohibited in some parts. The wireless solution installed could be easily expanded around the entire site and worked particularly well with the original solid walls of the building.
Ezio Danese, Project Manager at Hochiki Italia, comments: “The project had to comply with both architectural and standards requirements. The standards state that inside each room, in addition to a smoke detector, an alarm must be installed with a sound level of 75dB (A) in addition to an optical system capable of reaching even hearing-impaired people.
“For this reason, the EKWL8-OV detectors were chosen as they are equipped with an EN54-23 certified VAD and an EN54-3 certified voice sounder. The translators, connected to Hochiki’s ESP loop, were installed in the false ceilings in the corridors; their considerable range (1,200m in free area) made it possible to reach all the different wireless devices installed in the rooms. The Ekho system proved to be a perfect solution for the Corte Regia Relais and Spa project.”
