News & Events

Harley Haddow launches Fire Engineering service with acquisition of Pillar Fire

Harley Haddow has expanded its multidisciplinary engineering offering with the launch of a new Fire Engineering service, following the acquisition of specialist consultancy Pillar Fire.

Led by fire engineering specialist Kevin McKeown, the new service will operate nationally and strengthen our ability to provide integrated engineering expertise across the full lifecycle of a building.

Strengthening our integrated engineering offering

The launch comes at a time of growing demand for specialist fire engineering expertise, driven by the Building Safety Act and wider regulatory reforms across the built environment.

Bringing this capability in-house means our fire engineers can work alongside our structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, geotechnical and building performance & sustainability teams from the earliest stages of a project.

This integrated approach allows fire safety to inform design decisions from the outset, helping clients navigate increasingly complex requirements while developing solutions that support the wider architectural and engineering vision.

Kevin McKeown, Director of Fire Consultancy, said:

“The industry has changed significantly in recent years, with greater emphasis on competency, accountability and getting fire safety right from the beginning of a project.

“Good fire engineering should be integrated into a building’s design rather than bolted on afterwards. The best solutions are often those you don’t notice at all, allowing buildings to meet the highest safety standards without compromising the architect’s vision.

“That multidisciplinary approach is one of the reasons Harley Haddow is such a natural fit. I’m looking forward to bringing our expertise and existing client relationships into the business.”

Fire engineering across the building lifecycle

Our new service will provide both fire engineering and fire risk management, supporting clients from early concept and design through construction, occupation and the wider lifecycle of their buildings.

Our expertise includes performance-based fire engineering, fire strategy, smoke control and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), with experience spanning sectors including healthcare, defence and high-hazard environments.

Harley Haddow Director Marc McLuskey said:

“We are always asked by clients and peers who we would recommend for fire engineering, so bringing this expertise into the business is a natural next step.

“Kevin brings an established client base, deep sector expertise and a strong reputation in the market, allowing us to respond to that demand while strengthening our multidisciplinary offering.

“This is an important area of growth for Harley Haddow and we see significant potential to develop the new service nationally, while continuing to focus on the quality of work and client relationships we are known for.”

The addition of Fire Engineering represents the latest step in Harley Haddow’s growth, expanding the expertise we can bring together under one roof and enabling us to provide clients with a more coordinated approach to increasingly complex building design and performance requirements.

Looking for fire engineering support on your next project? Get in touch with our team to discuss how we can help.