Project:
Nordwell Ltd Delivers Fire Alarm Control Panel Upgrade at Fuel Studios, Norwich
Fuel Studios is a multi-occupancy commercial building providing creative office and studio spaces for a range of businesses. The site requires reliable, fully compliant fire detection to protect occupants while supporting uninterrupted day-to-day operations.
Project Overview:
Details – Upgrade of existing fire alarm control equipment, refurbishment fire alarm alterations, and access control integration
Panel Type – Advanced MXPro5 (8 Loop)
Device Type – Existing system devices integrated (where applicable)
Number of Panels – 1
Additional Systems – New Paxton door entry / access control system
Doors Integrated – 20
Network – Standalone / Integrated with existing infrastructure
Project Length – Phased works (out-of-hours programme)
Project Summary:
Nordwell Ltd is proud to have completed a major fire alarm control panel upgrade and integrated access control installation at Fuel Studios in Norwich, delivering improved system performance, reliability, and future capacity throughout the building.
The project involved the replacement of the existing control equipment with a modern Advanced MXPro5 8-loop fire alarm control panel, providing enhanced functionality, greater system resilience, and long-term scalability for the site.
As part of a refurbishment to one of the occupied office floors, Nordwell also carried out a large-scale upgrade to the fire alarm infrastructure, replacing and upgrading over 100 fire alarm devices across the refurbished area to ensure continued compliance and system performance throughout the building.
In addition, Nordwell installed a completely new Paxton door entry and access control system covering 20 doors across the site. The new access control system was fully integrated with the fire alarm system, ensuring all relevant doors respond appropriately during fire alarm activations to support safe evacuation procedures and compliance requirements.
Working closely with site management, Nordwell ensured:
- Seamless transition from the existing system to the new MXPro5 platform
- Upgrade and replacement of over 100 fire alarm devices during the office refurbishment works
- Installation of a fully integrated Paxton access control system across 20 doors
- Full system testing, commissioning, and certification in line with current standards
- Improved monitoring, fault diagnostics, and user interface functionality
- Minimal disruption to tenants and daily operations throughout the upgrade
The upgraded systems now provide Fuel Studios with a robust and futureproofed fire alarm and access control infrastructure, supporting both compliance and operational reliability.
Challenges:
“Working Around Occupants with Precision and Planning”
As Fuel Studios is a fully operational, multi-floor office building, maintaining a quiet and safe working environment during installation was critical.
Key project challenges included:
- Conducting works outside of normal business hours
- Ensuring all drilling activities were completed before 8:00am to prevent noise disruption to other occupied office floors
- Coordinating refurbishment works while maintaining fire protection coverage throughout the building
- Integrating the new Paxton access control system with the upgraded fire alarm infrastructure
- Careful coordination with building management to manage access and isolate zones safely
- Maintaining fire safety cover during changeover periods
Through detailed planning and strict scheduling, Nordwell successfully completed the upgrade without disruption to tenants or compromise to safety.
All works were delivered in line with:
- BS5839-1:2025
- CDM 2015 regulations
- Nordwell Ltd’s strict internal health and safety procedures
Completion:
“Upgrading Protection Without Disrupting Productivity”
The successful upgrade at Fuel Studios demonstrates Nordwell Ltd’s ability to deliver technically complex fire alarm and integrated access control improvements within live commercial environments.
By installing the Advanced MXPro5 8-loop control panel, upgrading over 100 fire alarm devices, and integrating a new Paxton door entry system across 20 doors, Fuel Studios now benefits from:
- Enhanced system reliability
- Greater loop capacity for future expansion
- Improved diagnostics and maintenance capability
- Fully integrated fire alarm and access control functionality
- Improved building security and controlled access management
- Continued compliance with current fire safety standards
At Nordwell Ltd, we are proud to support creative and commercial spaces across Norwich, delivering fire protection and integrated security solutions that safeguard people, property, and business continuity.
