Ambar Kelly’s unique riser flooring system, which improves on-site safety, buildability and cost-effectiveness, has been installed as part of a new office development in London’s West End.

65 Davies Street is currently under development and is set to be a mixed-use commercial building above the Elizabeth Line’s new Bond Street station in Mayfair, London W1. Built above the station’s western-ticket hall, the building designed by PLP Architecture is set to be one of London’s most desirable high-end office spaces. The attractive structure which is seven storeys tall and comprises office, retail, and residential space, has been designed to suit the traditional aesthetic of the neighbouring Mayfair buildings. It features an attractive terracotta façade, which sets back at Levels 5 and 6, to provide terrace space to incoming tenants. 

Ambar Kelly has provided its modular riser flooring system, RiserSafe^®, as part of this project’s construction. The company secured the purchase order after successfully collaborating with Multiplex on Bankside 3, encouraging the construction firm to use RiserSafe^® on their next development. Ambar Kelly came highly recommended by one of their lead  Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) Managers at Multiplex, due to the functionality  of the product, and the excellent working relationship that had resulted .

Contracts Manager Charlie Anderson oversaw this project, successfully liaising with Ambar Kelly, BHC and Multiplex to ensure that all parties agreed, and that the RiserSafe® riser flooring aligned with the project’s design requirements. The RiserSafe^® system supplies the interfaces across the various disciplines involved in riser design and implementation, benefitting key parties across the supply chain. It is a complete non-combustible permanent riser flooring from the moment the structure is formed; designed to last throughout the building’s lifetime. Ambar Kelly’s product design is an innovative and holistic approach towards riser shaft flooring, mitigating the fatal risks of fire and falling from height in a single product.

78 units of RiserSafe^® were required on this project. RiserSafe^® is a bespoke-designed system, whereby standard constituent parts are manufactured off site in our factory, and the only details that change are the units’ dimensions to meet the specifications of the relevant project. On 65 Davies Street, units were installed on the steel frame, and the metal decking was installed and dressed to the side walls of our units to act as the permanent shuttering for the poured concrete, which once cured forms the structural floor slab. Therefore, simultaneously forming and protecting the riser opening in one action to eliminate the risk associated with working at height and the spread of smoke and flame.

The mechanical, electrical and plumbing service penetrations (MEP) are 3D-modelled, pre-cut and protected with a cover plate (lid) at the factory to allow the easy and efficient installation of the (M&E) services, offering a permanent flooring between the building framework and services to allow the maintenance engineers to access and service the building’s infrastructure for optimal performance throughout its working life.  

The custom design of the RiserSafe^® flooring reduces overall construction time, removes the need for scaffolded hand rails and other fall protection measures, temporary fire doors, and permit systems to control access to the shafts, as they are not required with this system. The off-site design and manufacture reduce costs across the project, Multiplex recognised the benefits of the RiserSafe^®, resulting in the company using the product and in turn, reducing time and costs on their project.

Ambar Kelly worked effectively at the initial design phase with BHC and Multiplex to ensure that all features required to meet the building’s design intent were 3D-modelled, approved and employed in the building virtually before any activity occurred on-site. Owing to the support of the Ambar Kelly Contracts Manager with all parties, no secondary work to the units was required.

Martin Smith, Technical Manager at BHC said, “Ambar Kelly were very knowledgeable, proactive, and flexible in their approach to the design of RiserSafe^® panels on 65 Davies Street. As the units are modelled on Tekla, the coordination is seamless. We were pleased that they delivered to site on time and within budget.”

65 Davies Street is due to be completed in September 2023. Ambar Kelly’s RiserSafe^® solution will become part of Mayfair’s legacy, having contributed to an inherently safer office building which is protected against the spread of smoke and flame through the riser shaft.