Fire Check Consultants (FCC) have been proudly associated with a $25 million redevelopment of Yungaba House into ten exclusive luxury units, a 120-year-old former immigration centre and military hospital.
During the 1840’s,Queensland was a destination for many immigrants from the United Kingdom. The 1880s saw great expansion to Queensland and hundreds of men and women arrived at Queensland ports ready to make a new life. During the prosperous economic climate of 1884, the Queensland Government acquired land at Kangaroo Point and in 1885 invited tenders for the building of an ‘immigration depot’ that would match the optimism of the time and greet the new arrivals.
Yungaba House was completed by the end of 1887 and was receiving immigrants in the New Year of 1888. In 1901 it was used as a reception centre for troops returning from the Boer War. It also served as a military hospital during both the First and Second World Wars.
One of its most significant uses was during the ‘Great Depression’ in the 1930s when it became the headquarters of the project team that designed and built the Jubilee Bridge (later renamed the Story Bridge).
Following the Second World War, Yungaba was again devoted solely to its migrant functions. For over 120 years, Yungaba has been a significant public place. Its significance was recognised with a listing on Queensland’s first heritage register in 1988. It is the only purpose-built immigration depot in Australia.
The Queensland Building Act 1975 allows the Building Certifier discretion on the amount of work required to upgrades and/or alterations to existing buildings such as Yungaba House. The existing level of fire protection consisted of – an existing fire detection and alarm system installed throughout, mainly heat detection, fire hose reel and fire extinguisher. The deficiencies such as no fire separation between rooms originally designed for accommodation and no fire protection to the underside of the first floor were noticed.
FCC provided the performance solutions by recommending the fire safety and fire protection system, for example, at least Type B construction within bounding construction between units, and between units and public corridors; smoke alarm system located inside all units; smoke detection system within common corridors leading to unit entries; retaining and converting the existing heat detection system; and external fire hydrant coverage.
