Evacuation Diagrams for Strata and Apartment Buildings
Site-verified evacuation diagrams for strata schemes and apartment buildings in Sydney and across NSW. Each diagram is drawn for the stairwell, lift lobby or corridor where it hangs, so residents, visitors and emergency services see the exits from where they stand. We prepare them to the AS 3745 benchmark and can work with your strata manager and committee.
What Is Different About Strata and Apartment Buildings
Many floors, few distinct layouts
Apartment towers often repeat the same floor plan. We still verify each distinct layout on site, because stairwell doors, fire doors and lift lobbies can differ between podium, typical and top levels.
Residents, visitors and tradespeople
Most people in a strata building know their own floor, not the whole building. The diagram should help a visitor find the nearest stair from where they stand, not only a resident who uses it daily.
Lifts and stairs
In a fire, people are generally told to use the stairs, not the lifts. We draw the diagram so the nearest fire-isolated stair is clear, and mark accessible routes and refuge arrangements where your building has them.
Common property and shared areas
Diagrams belong in common property: lift lobbies, corridors, stair landings, car parks, and plant and storage areas. Lot interiors are not part of the work.
Mixed-use buildings
Retail, a gym or a childcare centre on the ground floor can share exits and an assembly area with the residential levels. We show how the parts connect so the routes make sense for everyone.
Committee approval and records
Owners corporations usually need committee or meeting approval for spending on common property. We provide a clear quote and scope that your strata manager can table.
Where We Work
- Sydney CBD and Inner West
- North Sydney and the North Shore
- Parramatta and Western Sydney
- Campbelltown and Camden
- Wollongong and the Illawarra
- Newcastle and the Hunter
- Blue Mountains
- Canberra and the ACT
Where the Diagrams Go
Lift lobbies
The first place most people look. Each lobby diagram shows the nearest stairwells from that exact spot.
Stair landings and fire doors
Diagrams at stair access points help people confirm they are heading to the right exit.
Corridors
Long corridors with several exits get diagrams oriented to the direction people face.
Basement and car parks
Car parks have different exits and assembly routes to the residential levels, so they get their own diagrams.
Rooftop and communal areas
Pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and function rooms where people gather and may not know the building.
Entry foyers
A main entry diagram shows visitors and emergency services the building layout and assembly area.
Evacuation Diagram FAQs: Strata & Apartments
Does my strata building need evacuation diagrams?
It depends on the building classification, its approvals and any fire safety conditions. We do not give legal advice. AS 3745-2010 is the recognised benchmark for evacuation diagrams, and many owners corporations adopt diagrams as a clear way to show exit routes. If you are unsure what applies, ask your strata manager or a certifier, and we can help you scope the work.
Who engages us for a strata building?
Usually the strata manager or the committee, on behalf of the owners corporation. We can quote directly to either. Where spending needs approval, we provide a clear scope and price that can be tabled at a committee or general meeting.
How many diagrams does an apartment building need?
It depends on the layout. Each diagram must be oriented to where it hangs, so a typical floor with one lift lobby and two stairs needs several. We count and position them during the site visit, then confirm the number before we draft.
Do you need to enter apartments?
No. Diagrams are for common property such as lift lobbies, corridors, stairwells, foyers and car parks. We need access to those areas and the plant or fire equipment rooms, which your strata manager can arrange.
Can you work from our strata plans?
Floor plans help, and we welcome them, but we verify against the building as it stands. Strata plans and approved drawings can differ from what was built, so we check every exit, fire door and piece of fire equipment on site.
Our diagrams are more than five years old. Do they need replacing?
AS 3745 provides a five-year review benchmark. A review checks whether the layout, fire equipment, exits and assembly area still match the diagram. If they do, the diagram may stay. If they do not, we update it. We do not just change the date.
What do you need for a quote?
The building address, the number of levels and towers, whether there are basements, and floor plans if you have them (PDF or CAD). The strata plan number and your strata manager's contact help us coordinate access.
General questions about what a diagram must show, review timing and sizing are answered on our main evacuation diagrams page.
Related Emergency Planning
Diagrams work best alongside current emergency procedures and trained wardens.