HYLYFE, Leicester
Design and build electrical services for a 171-apartment building (height over 18 m) in Highcross Street, Leicester.
- 2025
- Leicester
- Electrical & Mechanical
- £2.2m
Highcross Street is a large Build-to-Rent residential development located between Highcross Street and Great Central Street in Leicester. The scheme comprised the refurbishment of an existing mill alongside a new-build residential block, delivering a total of 171 apartments within a dense urban environment.
The building exceeds 18 metres in height, placing it within the higher-risk residential category and requiring enhanced electrical life-safety systems, evacuation strategy support, and rigorous statutory compliance.
EG Electrical & Mechanical Ltd were appointed to deliver the full electrical package on a design and build basis, with a contract value of circa £2.2 million, taking responsibility from outline performance specification through detailed design, installation, testing, commissioning, certification, and handover.
Electrical Services SCOPE OF WORKS
EG Electrical & Mechanical Ltd delivered a comprehensive, high-value electrical scope, including:
- Full electrical design development from the consultant’s outline performance specification
- Incoming electrical supplies, MSDBs, metering, and full building distribution strategy
- Apartment electrical installations including lighting, power, and life-safety interfaces
- Landlord and communal electrical installations
- Internal, external, and communal lighting systems
- Emergency lighting to all common areas and protected escape routes
- Small power and specialist power systems
- Fire detection and alarm systems suitable for high-rise residential buildings
- Life-safety and evacuation electrical systems, including:
- Disabled Refuge and Emergency Voice Communication Systems (EVCS)
- Evacuation alarm interfaces aligned with the approved fire strategy
- Access control systems and audio-visual intercom systems serving residential and landlord areas
- Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure
- Roof-mounted solar photovoltaic system contributing to the building’s energy strategy
- Life-safety backup generator providing secondary electrical supply to critical systems
- Earthing, bonding, lightning protection, and surge protection systems
- Full testing, commissioning, statutory certification, record drawings, and O&M documentation
The project was delivered under a single-point electrical design and installation responsibility, providing clarity of accountability on a higher-risk residential scheme.
High-Rise and Life-Safety Focus (Over 18 m)
Given the building height exceeded 18 metres, particular emphasis was placed on life-safety resilience, system segregation, and evacuation readiness.
Key considerations included:
- Electrical support of the approved fire and evacuation strategy
Dedicated and resilient power supplies for all life-safety systems
Clear segregation of LV, ELV, fire alarm, emergency lighting, EVCS, and data systems - Emergency lighting redundancy across all protected escape routes
- EVCS and evacuation alarm systems supporting controlled evacuation procedures
- System resilience through backup generation for critical services
EG Electrical & Mechanical Ltd worked closely with the wider project team to ensure all electrical life-safety systems were fully aligned with the fire strategy, Building Control requirements, and statutory obligations applicable to residential buildings over 18 metres.
Electrical Design and Technical Delivery
Developing the design from the consultant’s outline performance specification, EG Electrical & Mechanical Ltd produced full construction-level electrical designs, coordinating interfaces with architectural, structural, and mechanical systems across both refurbished and new-build elements.
Technical delivery highlights included:
- Compliance with BS 7671 (18th Edition)
- Fire detection and alarm systems designed and installed in accordance with BS 5839
- Emergency lighting designed and installed to BS 5266
- Energy-efficient lighting systems compliant with Building Regulations Part L (2021)
- Coordinated containment, riser, and plantroom strategies suitable for a high-density residential layout
- High-quality materials and workmanship in line with the Electrical Materials and Workmanship standards
All systems were installed, tested, commissioned, and certified to ensure safety, performance, maintainability, and long-term operational reliability.
Outcome
The Highcross Street BTR development was successfully delivered with a fully compliant, high-rise-ready electrical installation, supporting both the refurbished and new-build elements of the scheme.
With a project value of circa £2.2 million, EG Electrical & Mechanical Ltd demonstrated proven capability in delivering complex electrical infrastructure for residential buildings over 18 metres, including life-safety, evacuation, backup power, EV charging, access control, and renewable energy systems. The project provides clear confidence to developers and investors operating within the higher-risk residential sector.
SECTORS WE WORK IN
COMMERCIAL
EG have been working in the commercial and retail industry for over 20 years. We work with some of the world’s best-known brands, carrying out installations to the very highest of standards and on very tight timescales.
INDUSTRIAL
EG have been involved in industrial installation projects large and small for many years – undertaking everything from local authority recycling centres through to high-end engineering workshops.
RESIDENTIAL
Since our very beginnings EG have been working in people's homes. These days we carry out electrical and mechanical installations on new build developments and residential apartment buildings.
LET'S TALK
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