Multrees Walk, in the heart of St James’ Quarter, a prestigious shopping destination in Edinburgh, offers a curated selection of high-end brands and premium shopping experiences. Earlier this year the retail centre witnessed an extension to a prestigious store that redefines luxury shopping in Edinburgh. As the revamped store prepared to open its doors, a critical element of its infrastructure was installed: a state-of-the-art fire detection system from Hochiki Europe.
High-end luxury retailers prioritise discreet fire detection systems to maintain their brand’s aesthetic appeal. These stores often feature meticulously designed interiors with clean lines and minimal distractions, meaning any visible fire detection devices can disrupt the desired ambience and detract from the overall shopping experience. By opting for discreet systems, these retailers ensure that fire safety remains a top priority without compromising the store’s luxurious atmosphere.
With its stunning interior design and exquisite collection of accessories and ready-to-wear items, this new store in Edinburgh demanded a fire safety solution that was both discreet and highly effective. GB Integrated Systems (GBIS), specialise in providing fire detection and security system solutions for commercial properties. Having worked with Hochiki products for several years, trusting their reliability in retail environments, they knew the global fire manufacturer’s ESP range would provide the perfect answer.
Mike Gray, Technical Director from GBIS told us: “We chose Hochiki as it offered a comprehensive solution for this project with a broad selection of devices, including smoke detectors, heat detectors, manual call points, base sounders and air sampling system.”
The project comprised over 40 analogue addressable devices and a sophisticated air sampling system, ensuring the highest standards in fire safety design. The air sampling system, seamlessly integrated into the fire detection loop, was a crucial component of the installation.
Air sampling enables precise detection in hard-to-reach areas like ceiling voids, ensuring comprehensive coverage throughout a retail environment. The Hochiki devices respond accurately to real fire conditions while minimising false alarms through multi-sensor technology, environmental adjustments, and filtering mechanisms. With these features, the team at GBIS could reassure the luxury retailer that the fire alarm system could effectively differentiate between non-threatening signals and actual fire hazards, thereby improving safety, reducing false alarms, and enhancing operational efficiency within the store.
A key challenge was interfacing the fire alarm system with the shopping centre’s security control centre. This complex integration required careful planning and execution to ensure that the system would respond appropriately to different fire scenarios. In the event of a fire within the store, the system would trigger specific alarms and notifications, while a fire in the shopping centre would activate different alerts, minimising disruption to the store’s operations.
“Installing the fire alarm system in this premium, high-end retail space is especially exciting because it brings innovative fire safety and sophisticated technology into a luxurious environment where safety and customer experience are paramount. The precision and reliability of our install aligns perfectly with the retail brand’s high standards, protecting valuable merchandise, ensuring shopper safety, and minimising disruptions from false alarms. With hidden devices and seamless integration, the Hochiki ESP range not only safeguards the premises but also maintains the aesthetics, adding a layer of security that complements the brand’s reputation for excellence and customer care. It’s very satisfying to see the finished Hochiki install in premises of this nature and instils a great sense of pride in the work we do.”
This successful project showcases the power of Hochiki’s fire detection solutions to protect high-end retail environments. By combining innovation, reliability, and aesthetic appeal, Hochiki has helped to create a safe and secure space for customers to indulge in the ultimate luxury shopping experience.
To learn more about the ESP Range from Hochiki Europe head to the website to learn more.
About the Author
Hochiki Europe (UK) Limited
INTERNATIONAL MARKET LEADER
Hochiki has a distinguished heritage of specialist technological expertise which has gained the group its international status as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of commercial and industrial fire detection solutions. Established early in the twentieth century, Hochiki has remained an independent, multi-national company which now employs over 1500 personnel in total, operating five manufacturing plants, thirty-one sales offices and eighteen subsidiaries.
Hochiki Europe (UK) Ltd manufactures and distributes product for Europe, the Middle East and Africa and is dedicated to providing sales and technical services to these markets.
WORLD PROVEN PERFORMANCE
With a heritage of innovative design and leading edge technologies, Hochiki’s products have gained widespread acceptance as the benchmark for high-integrity and long-term reliability throughout the world.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR LIFE SAFETY
Hochiki owns the world’s largest, purpose-built, state of the art fire test laboratory. This ensures that the pedigree of Hochiki products remains unrivalled and guarantees that even large scale designs are fully proven in real fire conditions.
In addition, the Group employs over 100 specialist research and development engineers that undertake activities from fundamental research into the physical properties of fire, to hardware and software product design and development.
