The conflict between style and function is a universal issue. Modern buildings have to incorporate large amounts of plant and equipment. It is therefore becoming more and more challenging to accommodate the demands of modern lifestyles into buildings without compromising the interior design. Fire detection, a critical life safety requirement, is no exception. Heritage buildings are an environment in which the need to preserve aesthetics and the need for fire detection can collide. Between January 2002 and June 2006, an average of seven heritage buildings per month were lost or damaged as a result of fire in the UK. Fire detection in heritage buildings is therefore imperative, but it can be very difficult to incorporate modern fire detectors into heritage interiors without interfering with the original decor.
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