The new service will operate nationally and aims to strengthen Harley Haddow’s multidisciplinary offering at a time when demand for specialist fire engineering expertise is growing following the Building Safety Act and wider post-Grenfell regulatory reforms.
By bringing fire engineering capabilities in-house, Harley Haddow believes it can offer a more integrated multidisciplinary service, with fire engineers working alongside its structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, geotechnical, building performance and sustainability teams from the earliest project stages.
“The fire engineering market is experiencing significant demand, but there simply aren’t enough qualified professionals to deliver the work that is out there,” said McKeown, appointed as director of fire consultancy.
“The industry has also changed significantly in recent years, with greater emphasis on competency, accountability and getting fire safety right from the beginning of a project.
“Good fire engineering should be integrated into a building’s design rather than bolted on afterwards. The best solutions are often those you don’t notice at all, allowing buildings to meet the highest safety standards without compromising the architect’s vision.
“That multidisciplinary approach is one of the reasons Harley Haddow is such a natural fit. I’m looking forward to bringing our expertise and existing client relationships into the business.”
Harley Haddow director, Marc McLuskey, added: “We are always asked by clients and peers who we would recommend for fire engineering, so bringing this expertise into the business is a natural next step.
“Kevin brings an established client base, deep sector expertise and a strong reputation in the market, allowing us to respond to that demand while strengthening our multidisciplinary offering.
“This is an important area of growth for Harley Haddow and we see significant potential to develop the new service nationally, while continuing to focus on the quality of work and client relationships we are known for.”
The new service will cover both fire engineering and fire risk management, supporting clients from concept and design through to construction, occupation and the wider lifecycle of a building.
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