Interior design and fit out in London. Layouts, materials and joinery, priced before the build, built by the same team.
A safe room is not a standard product selected from a brochure. It cannot simply be inserted late in a renovation. It is a specialist part of the home. It should be designed around a proportionate security assessment and a clear operating plan. It should also suit the needs of the people who may use it.
NU Projects can coordinate the residential design and construction around specialist security advice. This article deliberately stays at a high level. Detailed protection specifications should remain confidential. Competent advisers should develop them for the individual property.
Start with the security brief
Before layouts or products are chosen, a security consultant should assess the property. They should also assess occupancy, access, response arrangements and credible risks. That brief determines whether a dedicated room is appropriate. It also sets the performance, communication and duration required.
Coordinate the safe room with the whole building
Architecture and location
The space must be accessible to the intended users without disrupting everyday life. Its position should work with circulation, structure, fire strategy, services and the surrounding rooms.
Structure and specialist construction
Any enhanced enclosure, door set or opening affects loads, junctions and build sequence. The structural engineer, specialist supplier and contractor must coordinate verified details. Generic claims are not enough.
Fire safety and means of escape
Protection from one risk must not create another. The fire strategy, detection, communication and escape arrangements require professional review. They must be integrated with the wider building design.
Power, communication and environmental systems
The brief may require resilient communication, lighting, power and environmental control. These systems need suitable routes, maintenance access and commissioning, coordinated through the MEP design.
Interior integration
A safe room can be calm and discreet rather than visually institutional. Materials, joinery, lighting and controls should sit comfortably within the home. They should still preserve the specialist design intent.
Confidentiality and document control
Share sensitive drawings and product details only with the people who need them. The same applies to access arrangements and test information. The project team should agree how information is issued, stored, reviewed and handed over.
Testing, training and maintenance
Handover should include relevant certification, commissioning records, operating guidance and a maintenance plan. Occupants need clear, proportionate instructions. Systems that are never tested or maintained cannot be assumed to perform.
Cost and programme planning
Cost depends on the specialist brief, structure, services, finishes, access and testing. Early design reduces rework. It also lets confidential packages be integrated into procurement and the main programme. Sensitive details need not be advertised.
How NU Projects supports the wider project
NU can coordinate architecture, structure, building services and interior design. It can also coordinate specialist packages, construction and aftercare. All of this sits within a larger prime London renovation. The security performance itself should be specified and verified by the appropriate specialist.
See the Knightsbridge townhouse renovation. It is a completed example of NU Projects’ residential delivery.
Frequently asked questions
What is a residential safe room?
A residential safe room is a protected space. It is designed around a property-specific security assessment, communication plan and safe operating strategy.
Can a safe room be integrated discreetly?
Yes. With early coordination, the room can align with the architecture and interior design. It can still maintain the specialist performance and access requirements.
Who should design a safe room?
A competent security consultant should define the threat and performance brief. They should work with the architect, structural engineer, fire adviser, building-services team and contractor.
Discuss a confidential residential project
For a discreet initial conversation about a prime London renovation, contact NU Projects. Detailed security requirements should not be sent through a general enquiry form.
This is the work we do. Interior design and fit out in London, or ask for a cost estimate.
Published 12 April 2020. Written by the NU Projects studio, edited since for house style and accuracy.