The challenge
The Cooltower, also known as the Cooltoren, is a new residential tower of more than 150 metres in the Cool district, close to the Witte de Withstraat, with luxury apartments and commercial spaces on the ground floor. As a mixed-use high-rise, the building places high demands on compartmentation between residential units, common areas and stairwells, and on integration with the climate system.
Our approach
We installed fire-resistant glass in common areas and stairwells to preserve natural light, fitted fire dampers in the ventilation system in close coordination with the installer, and realized separating structures between the different compartments.
The result
The escape routes and compartmentalization comply with the requirements applicable to high-rise buildings, with seamless integration between structural and building-services measures.
Key facts
- Client: Cooltower
- Location: Rotterdam
- Year: 2023
- Certificates: All handed over on completion
- File: Recorded and kept up to date by us
Services deployed
All certificates handed over, everything recorded
At handover, the client received all certificates. Every provision we installed has been recorded, and we keep those records up to date.
The file covers the fire-resistant glass in the communal areas and stairwells, the fire dampers in the ventilation system and the separating structures between the compartments.
A certificate alone does not prove that a provision is right. What also matters is where and how the product was applied. That is why the record for each provision states which system was installed where. This lets the owner show that the fire protection provisions are present and correctly installed.
Is there an inspection by the municipality, fire service or insurer, or is a pipe or cable added later? Then the file shows straight away which system is where, so that a seal that has been opened can be restored with a suitable system.
Fire safety duty of care under the Bbl: what does it mean for owners and users?In the file
- All certificates, handed to the client at handover
- For each provision: the location, the material and the date
- Photos of the work
- Kept up to date by us, also after handover
What this means for your own building
Fire-resistant glass keeps spaces light
With fire-resistant glass, stairwells and communal areas stay light and easy to survey, while the separation remains fire-resistant. The classification applies to the glass together with the frame and the fixing.
Fire-resistant glass: classifications (EI 30 / EI 60), applications and costsHow a fire damper is installed matters just as much
A fire damper belongs to the ventilation system, but it is also part of the fire separation. Without the prescribed installation between the damper and the wall or floor, smoke and fire can still get past the damper. That is why we coordinated the fitting with the building services contractor.
Fire dampers: how they work, inspection frequency, and common mistakesA fire damper needs periodic testing
A fire damper must have a function test regularly; how often is set by the manufacturer for each type. Put that schedule on record, so the dampers demonstrably keep working after handover.
Maintenance & InspectionOther work by our team
WTC Amsterdam
Fire-safe compartmentalization and doors in a continuously leased multi-tenant office complex.
ASML Veldhoven
Fire-resistant protection of steel structures and technical penetrations in a high-tech production environment.
Maanplein Den Haag
Shafts, toilet waste pipes, heat recovery ducts, water pipes and meter cupboards fire-stopped in a new apartment complex.