The Client

The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a leading postgraduate art and design school based in London.

The institution was established in 1837, when it was known as the Government School of Design, located in Somerset House. After the Great Exhibition in 1851 the small and humble school was radically transformed to become the National Art Training School and found new premises in South Kensington, where it has remained ever since. In 1896 it was renamed for the final time as the Royal College of Art.

In 1967 the College was granted University status and was given the power to award its own degrees. Since becoming a University RCA has remained as the world’s most influential postgraduate institution of art and design.

The Challenge

The University approached Red Alert to quote for a proposed fire alarm system at The Stevens Building. The current system was aging and in desperate need of an update. The old system was obsolete and had many cable and equipment faults as well as being closed protocol. This meant there were limitations in selecting a fire alarm maintenance company.

 It would have taken months to completely rewire the building, which was not a convenient option, as work could not be carried out in term time or working hours.

The Solution

After a formal tender process Red Alert was chosen to undertake the project. Red Alert surveyors had identified that an EMS Radio system would be the most appropriate choice due to the size and complexity of the building as well as the time constraints. With just 23 working days to plan, install and commission a system of nearly 400 devices it was a great team effort that completed the project exactly on time for the College to start the new term.  

In addition to the fire alarm systems Red Alert also maintains the intruder alarms, access control and CCTV across two of the campuses in Kensington and Battersea.