Selby Centre, Tottenham

The BB7 response

BB7 has delivered both fire engineering and structural fire engineering services across multiple project stages. Our fire engineering team has supported the development of the fire strategy from RIBA Stage 2, helping to shape the early design in line with functional requirements and evolving regulations. At RIBA Stage 3, we developed a coordinated fire strategy and produced the necessary fire safety statements to support planning applications under the London Plan and Planning Gateway One. This work remains ongoing as the project progresses.

Our Structural Fire Engineering team provided a performance-based solution for the exposed CLT and glulam structure. This included a bespoke assessment to demonstrate compliance with Part B3 of the Building Regulations. Using EN 1995-1-2 and STA Volume 6 guidance, we carried out an iterative zone-model-based analysis and transient heat transfer simulations calibrated to pyrolysis kinetics. These advanced modelling techniques were essential in verifying that the timber elements could maintain their load-bearing capacity and achieve self-extinction without full encapsulation.

Key outcomes included maintaining over 95mm of residual section in all exposed timber surfaces throughout the fire scenarios, and confirming that incident heat flux on the exposed elements decayed below the 5 kW/m² auto-extinction threshold. Our work also included subcompartmentation, OH1 sprinkler protection, and encapsulation strategies.

Benefits of Service

BB7’s integrated structural and fire engineering approach ensured both compliance and resilience for the mass timber construction. By being appointed early in the project lifecycle and working closely with the design team, we were able to deliver a coordinated fire strategy that supported planning success, while our structural fire analysis enabled the client to retain exposed timber finishes without compromising safety. The result is a safe, sustainable, and technically assured community hub that reflects the ambitions of the wider Selby Urban Village regeneration.