Top 6 Smoke and Fire Curtain Installations

Buildings today need fire and smoke protection systems that are flexible, foolproof and easily integrated into preexisting structures and open concept designs.

Buildings today need fire and smoke protection systems that are flexible, foolproof and easily integrated into preexisting structures and open concept designs.

At SG Architectural Solutions, we understand every client has unique needs specific to their building’s purpose, function and design. We’ve put together a list of some of our top smoke curtain installations and how they helped our clients exceed modern-day safety requirements and regulations.

1. LAX Tom Bradley Terminal

LAX Tom Bradley Terminal

Airports can be notorious for a large amount of moving parts and people. Traditional elevator smoke and fire doors are not conducive to maintaining the necessary and open flow an airport needs, and they can be too easily blocked by furniture or stray suitcases.

Since airports like LAX are typically made up of long hallways and large open spaces, it is imperative to install a smoke and fire protection system that is automatic and carefully planned.

LAX Tom Bradley Terminal 2

Smoke curtains help protect employees and travelers from danger by slowing the spread of smoke and flames while still allowing emergency personnel to get to the threat faster and more efficiently.

2. Kaiser Permanente Medical Center

Kaiser Permanente Medical Center

Smoke containment is critical in a hospital setting to keep both staff and vulnerable patients safe.

The Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Oakland strategically uses smoke curtains throughout the facility to prevent the spread of smoke between the inner core of the hospital and the adjoining parking garage.

3. St. Joseph’s Hospital & John Muir Medical Center

St. Joseph’s Hospital & John Muir Medical Center

The installation of smoke and fire curtains brought the elevators at both St. Joseph’s Hospital and John Muir Medical Center up to code without the extensive costs of replacing the elevator doors completely in these facilities. These curtains will also prevent smoke from spreading through the elevator shafts and harming patients.

These smoke curtains are made with a transparent material that allows emergency personnel and individuals behind the curtain to see through to the other side. Each side of the curtain is also equipped with retract buttons to allow anyone trapped in the elevator to escape.

4. Ocean Towers

Ocean Towers

Restoring an aging structure to its former glory can cause some serious financial strain, especially when the building falls short of meeting necessary safety codes.

When renovating Ocean Towers, a residential high rise in Santa Monica, CA, architects had to delicately balance preserving the building’s original design details and making some much-needed improvements — all while keeping the costs to a reasonable level.

It quickly became apparent that the old elevator doors did not meet the modern-day required safety codes nor were they properly labeled. This serious issue could have not only required the building owners to replace all the elevator doors — a very costly problem — but also put residents in grave danger if there were an emergency.

Fortunately, SG Architectural Solutions was able to step in and help with the situation. By recommending a third-party to test and relabel the existing doors, then adding our elevator curtains, the elevators met the required safety codes without expensive replacements or extensive disturbance to the existing structure.

5. Facebook Offices

Facebook Offices

A large atrium is a common feature to achieve the type of open concept design that has become popular in the modern workplace. However, large open spaces come with their own smoke safety issues, as seen at the Facebook offices.

An atrium can sometimes act as a funnel for smoke, allowing it to travel more easily through the building and putting occupants in serious danger in the case of a fire.

Instead, installing smoke curtains that surround the atrium during a fire emergency prevents the spread of smoke to the entire building and allows occupants to safely and easily exit the building.

The added benefit of using smoke curtains is that they can be easily and discreetly incorporated into the design, becoming virtually invisible, while still protecting occupant safety without sacrificing aesthetics.

6. Netflix Building

Netflix Building

In the heart of the beautiful ICON building in Los Angeles is a massive 12-story staircase. When Netflix began renovations, fire and smoke safety quickly became a concern.

A smoke curtain system was the best choice to prevent smoke from traveling through the stairwell, but some additional modifications and features were added to fit the client’s needs.

Smoke and Fire Curtain Installations

The Los Angeles Fire Department asked that there be a 30-second delay before the smoke curtains fully dropped to allow occupants to exit after the alarms sounded. There were also retract buttons placed on every landing so occupants could still escape even if behind a deployed curtain.

Custom Safety Solutions

SG Architectural Specialties is the exclusive representative to furnish, install and service Smoke Guard products in California and northern Nevada. Our team is happy to create a fire and smoke safety plan custom to your project’s unique specifications.

Check out our special selection of fire and smoke curtains, and reach out with any questions or to request more information.