Roles and applications of Mechanical Services in Defining the

massing and form of the building.

Structure of paper
Defining fire fighting services in building and comparing it with standards and mentioning conclusions
under each topic and finally arriving at main conclusion of the term paper.

Introduction to PAM Centre Bangsar

PAM Centre is currently new headquarters of the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM), is Bangsar's
latest landmark which located Jalan Tandok in Bangsar. PAM Centre is a 10-storey office building,
consists of a basement car parks. It was designed by architects Mohd Heikal Hasan of HMA & Associates
and completed in 2016.
The design concept of the building is striking in its liberal use of raw finishes and clever spatial
organization on a limited land area. exterior is a minimal grid design that promotes passive air
ventilation while the interior is industrial made from exposed brickworks, precast concrete and hidden
steel column.
This architecture also achieved certificate of Platinum Award for Green Building Index that includes
rainwater harvesting system used for irrigation and sewage, a 25kw photovoltaic system that is
generated through solar consumption and vertical greenery to maximise usage of limited space.
Introduction
Passive Fire Protection (PFP), an integral component of the components of structural that allow a fire to
act upon the system itself, to compartmentalize and contain the fire to save lives and to protect the
structure, such as by fire-resistant walls, floor, and doors. Passive Fire Protection must be considered at
the planning design stage of a building project. In accordance with UBBL 1984 Part VIII that focuses on
passive containment, emergency evacuation and fire fighting access.
Diagram as shown below summarizes the Passive Fire Protection System of PAM Centre Bangsar. The
system groups are basically divided into Passive Containment, Evacuation and Fire Fighting Access.

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Passive Containment
The passive containment system is described to be consists of interconnected cells within the building
and can control the situation all by themselves while without any actively involved. It avoids fire spread
and prolongs time for safe evacuation of the building occupants, thereby it must be considered at the
planning stage in a building project.
Fire Fighting Access
Firefighter access to enable firefighters to gain access from external to rescue any people trapped in the
building and to allow firefighting from the outside of building.
Passive Containment
Passive containment can control the situation all by themselves while without any actively involved
because it acts as components of structure to confine a fire to the zone of origin, avoid fire spread and
leaving more time to safe evacuation for occupants of the building.
Compartmentation
In accordance with by-law UBBL 1984 Clause 133, compartmentation means any part of a building which
is separated from all other parts by one or more compartment walls or floors or by both and shall also
include any room space above such part of the top storey. At the same time, it limits of compartment
sizes to prevent fire travel far to another spaces as determined under by-law UBBL 1984 Clause 136.
The purposes of dividing into smaller compartment are limiting the spread of fire, smoke migration to
confine it to the fire area itself and providing clear and safe evacuation routes during fire. Besides, fire
compartments are divided by compartment walls and compartment floors made out of a fire-resisting

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