Project overview

Arena Point is one of the most significant purpose-built student accommodation developments in the UK. Located in the heart of Leeds, the landmark tower will provide 633 student bedrooms across 45 storeys and, upon completion, will become both the tallest building in Leeds and the tallest student accommodation tower in the world.

Developed by Olympian Homes and designed by O’Connell East Architects, the scheme sets a new benchmark for high-rise student living. However, a project of this scale also demands the highest standards of fire safety.

To support the building’s fire-engineered design strategy, the project team selected the Firechief® Kitchen Stove Guard to help prevent cooking-related fires before they start.

The challenge

Modern student accommodation increasingly favours open-plan living. While these layouts create attractive and practical spaces for residents, they can also introduce fire safety challenges.

At Arena Point, cooking appliances were positioned close to escape routes within studio and cluster apartments. The design team therefore needed a solution that would support compliance with BS 9991:2024 while maintaining the open-plan layouts expected in contemporary student accommodation.

The challenge became even more significant due to the scale of the development. With 633 bedrooms spread across 45 storeys, reducing the risk of fire ignition within individual apartments would help improve safety throughout the entire building.

The project required a reliable solution that could operate consistently across hundreds of rooms while remaining simple to install and manage.

The solution

The project team chose the Firechief® Kitchen Stove Guard as part of its fire-engineered approach.

Designed for use with electric hobs, the intelligent system continuously monitors cooking activity and identifies when temperatures rise to potentially dangerous levels. If it detects a developing fire risk, the Stove Guard alerts the user. If the risk remains, the system automatically disconnects power to the hob before ignition can occur.

The Stove Guard can also identify when a hob has been left on accidentally. This helps reduce the likelihood of unattended cooking incidents, which remain one of the leading causes of domestic fires.

By preventing fires at source, the system allowed the project team to address the challenges created by open-plan layouts while supporting compliance with EN 50615 Category B requirements and BS 9991:2024 fire safety guidance.

The results

The installation delivered a consistent standard of fire protection throughout the development and helped the project team achieve its fire safety objectives.

Key benefits included:

• Fire prevention at source within individual accommodation units
• A consistent approach to cooker safety across the entire building
• Support for BS 9991:2024 fire-engineered design strategies
• Compliance with EN 50615 Category B requirements
• Quick installation by existing electrical contractors
• No annual maintenance requirements
• No monthly testing requirements
• A cost-effective alternative to traditional suppression systems
• A compact design that integrates seamlessly into modern student accommodation

Most importantly, the Firechief® Kitchen Stove Guard provided an additional layer of protection for residents in one of the world’s most ambitious student accommodation developments.

Project team

• Project: Arena Point
• Location: Leeds City Centre
• Client / Developer: Olympian Homes | Kinga Ltd
• Architect: O’Connell East Architects
• Project Manager & Quantity Surveyor: WT Partnership
• Main Contractor: RG Group
• M&E Engineer: VITEC Consult
• M&E Contractor: C & D Electrical

Looking for a kitchen stove guard solution for student accommodation?

Firechief® Kitchen Stove Guards help developers, architects, fire engineers and contractors reduce the risk of cooking-related fires in student accommodation, build-to-rent developments and residential schemes.

Contact the Firechief® team to discuss your project requirements and discover how intelligent stove guard technology can support your fire safety strategy.

To read more about the Kitchen Stove Guard or any of our innovative fire safety products, visit the Firechief® website where you can also read more of our Case Studies.