Historical

Historical PDF

RAN Fire Protection Engineering focuses on fire protection engineering for historic and cultural properties, where life safety requirements must be carefully balanced with preservation. Our work includes integrating fire protection systems in a manner that is both effective and minimally intrusive, maintaining the architectural and historical integrity of each facility.

With the addition of Nick Artim to our team, RAN brings over 30 years of specialized experience in fire protection for heritage buildings. His work spans high-value historic properties across the United States and internationally, including projects involving code consulting, performance-based design, and fire modeling.

Project Highlight

John Jay Homestead

Katonah, NY

RAN Fire Protection Engineering was retained to design a fire suppression system and a fire detection and alarm system. The fire suppression system that was used in this facility is a water mist fire suppression system. Water mist systems produce fine droplets to suppress the fire. Because this system uses significantly less water, this results in less water damage to the building which will drastically help to preserve the historical elements of the building.

Check out this video with Jen Shannon, our Business Development Director, discussing the project in more detail!

More Historical Projects

Grant Cottage
Miravel Resort and Spa
Olana State Historic Site
Vassar College Chapel Organ
Philbrook Museum of Art
New York State Military Museum

Grant Cottage

Wilton, NY

Grant Cottage Historic Site is a nationally significant historic property and the final residence of President Ulysses S. Grant, preserved as a museum. The structure contains original furnishings and artifacts, requiring a fire protection approach that prioritizes both life safety and preservation of irreplaceable historic materials.

RAN provided fire protection engineering services for the facility, focusing on integration of systems with minimal impact to the historic building fabric. The scope included evaluation of existing building and site conditions and development of a code analysis to establish applicable fire protection requirements.

Due to limited available water supply at the site, RAN evaluated suppression system options and implemented a hybrid water mist and inert gas system to reduce water demand while maintaining effective fire control. This approach minimized potential water damage while supporting protection of the structure and its contents.

RAN developed a coordinated fire protection strategy addressing detection, suppression, and code compliance, and supported coordination with the Authority Having Jurisdiction to resolve project-specific requirements. The result is a practical, code-compliant solution tailored to a historic facility with constrained infrastructure.

Miraval Resort and Spa

Lenox, MA

RAN Fire Protection Engineering provided fire protection system design for a 30-building resort campus, including sprinkler systems, standpipes, and fire alarm systems. The work addressed the challenges of coordinating protection across multiple structures with varying uses and legacy systems.

The campus includes a building over 250 years old undergoing conversion to hotel and banquet use, which required a more tailored approach. RAN implemented a wireless fire alarm system to preserve original architectural features by minimizing invasive installation, while the sprinkler system was carefully coordinated to maintain the building’s aesthetic integrity and meet code requirements.

RAN also designed a wireless radio mesh fire alarm network to unify previously incompatible systems from multiple manufacturers. The new network provides precise alarm location identification at the room level through a centralized monitoring interface, significantly improving emergency response while avoiding full system replacement.

Size: 30 Buildings | Construction Cost: $6,000,000

Olana State Historic

Hudson, NY

Olana State Historic Site is a historic estate and museum centered on the Persian-inspired home and studio of artist Frederic Edwin Church. The property includes multiple structures and culturally significant assets, requiring a fire protection approach that supports preservation alongside life safety.

RAN Fire Protection Engineering evaluated existing fire protection systems across the estate to document current conditions and identify performance limitations. This included a detailed review and verification of an existing water mist system against original design documents.

RAN updated system documentation using AutoCAD and assessed how effectively the existing systems limit potential fire damage to historically significant structures. A code analysis was also performed to clarify requirements associated with the original installation and to identify where upgrades or modifications may be needed.

RAN worked with the Authority Having Jurisdiction to address compliance considerations and develop a coordinated fire protection strategy that balances life safety, property protection, and preservation of the site’s historic character.

Size: 10,000 sqft | Construction Cost: $330,000

Vassar College Chapel

Poughkeepsie, NY

Originally constructed in 1904, the Vassar College Chapel is a historically significant campus building that houses distinctive architectural features, including stained-glass windows and a historic pipe organ that remains in active use.

RAN Fire Protection Engineering provided consulting services for the fire alarm system layout in accordance with NFPA 72 and designed a sprinkler system in compliance with NFPA 13. Given the sensitivity of the space and the presence of irreplaceable features, the system design incorporated a pre-action sprinkler system to reduce the risk of accidental water discharge. This approach ensures that water is only released upon verification of a fire event, providing an added layer of protection for the organ and other historic elements.

The design required careful coordination to integrate modern fire protection systems within the existing structure while minimizing impact to architectural features and maintaining the character of the space. RAN’s approach balanced life safety requirements with preservation considerations, supporting the continued use and protection of this historic facility.

Water Mist Fire Suppression System Design

Tulsa, OK

RAN Fire Protection Engineering provided design services for a phased implementation of a high-pressure water mist fire suppression system within a historically significant museum facility. The project focuses on protecting the Villa Philbrook, a 72-room Italian Renaissance-style structure, and collections storage areas where traditional fire protection approaches are not suitable for sensitive artifacts. The water mist system was selected based on fire protection analysis and coordination with museum stakeholders to balance life safety, property protection, and preservation of the historic building fabric.

RAN developed the system design in accordance with NFPA 750 and related standards, including layout of nozzles and high-pressure piping, equipment selection, and integration with the fire alarm system. The design also includes centralized infrastructure, such as pumps and control systems, to support future expansion as additional areas of the facility are incorporated into subsequent phases.

Size: 72 Rooms

New York State Military Museum

Saratoga Springs, NY

RAN Fire Protection Engineering designed a fire protection system for an archival storage facility housing overflow historical collections. The scope focused on protecting sensitive artifacts in a building with limited occupancy, requiring early fire detection and suppression while minimizing potential damage to stored materials.
RAN designed a clean agent fire suppression system to protect both collection storage areas and adjacent administrative spaces. The system incorporates a dedicated fire detection and alarm system with cross-zoned detection to confirm fire conditions prior to agent discharge. This approach enables incipient-stage fire control while limiting suppression impact to the area of origin, preserving the integrity of the archival materials.

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