Summerset Cambridge Retirement Village

Developing Solutions for Complex Construction Challenges

Overview 

As of 2025, the Summerset Cambridge Regional Main Building is nearing completion. Once completed, the village will consist of 260 residential homes and mixed-use facilities.

At conception in 2022 the unique hybrid construction of steel and CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) was relatively new to New Zealand.

The unique construction methodology brought about its own set of challenges in regards to the fire protection. The structure required specialist fire engineering solutions including limiting the steel to a low limiting temperature of 300°C.
Being the only fire protection consultants in New Zealand with in-house designers and fire engineers, Fireshield was the only team that could provide solutions at the time.

Our Involvement 

Initially, our team developed a specific design methodology to address the demands of the structure, leveraging our up-to-date knowledge of fire research relating to mass timber construction.

We created a comprehensive building consent package that included test data, specifications, loading schedules, and markups. We also provided specific design solutions for CLT ceiling encapsulation due to the requirement to reduce the fuel load within the building.

Our thorough documentation resulted in a smooth consent process with no requests for further information from the council.

During construction, Fireshield provided significant technical support, including:

• PS1 certification for the specific design

• Regular site inspections

• Monitoring advice reports with photo documentation

• Final PS4 sign-off upon completion

We also conducted specialised moisture testing using Steel 1002 to ensure coating adherence and compliance on the CLT, which had residual moisture from exposure to the elements during construction.

Outcome 

As a result of our in-house experts who worked on this project, Fireshield was the first company in New Zealand to successfully use intumescent coatings to achieve a 300-degree limiting temperature.

Since working on Cambridge Retirement Village, Fireshield has since worked closely with Summerset across multiple sites, continuing to provide support and consultancy for their ongoing projects.