Published: 03.10.25
It can become costly if fire safety is forgotten during the design phase. But the operation of a building should also be taken into account in the early stages of a construction project. Otherwise, there is a risk of ending up with solutions that are both fire hazardous and lead to illegal use of the building.
From the very beginning, the client must be clear about what the building will be used for. For example, when building a canteen, a shop, or a shopping center, it is important to remember the need for storage and warehouse facilities. In the case of a commercial property with offices, it is essential to allocate space for copy rooms, storage rooms, cleaning rooms, tea kitchens, etc. And if a residential building is being constructed, one should not forget a common room for the caretaker.
“A building must be designed for the purpose it is intended for. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the use already in the design phase – including factors such as occupancy and the habits and misuses of users. The building should be designed so that it is easy and intuitive to do the right thing,” says Helene Anisimov, Project Manager at DBI (Danish Institute of Fire and Security Technology), adding:
“Therefore, one should set fire safety requirements, think them through thoroughly, and ensure that they are incorporated as part of the tender material.”
If operations are not considered, there is a risk of either having to redesign and thereby losing time and money, or that the building will be used differently than intended.
“If redesign is required, delays occur, which can be costly. Sometimes, we also see that people move in as planned but must resort to temporary solutions such as acquiring a container because storage space is lacking,” says Helene Anisimov, and continues:
“Unfortunately, it also often happens that users of a building find their own solutions if they lack storage rooms, cleaning rooms, common rooms, tea kitchens, or other facilities. Then they use technical rooms, stairwells, and other areas not intended for the purpose. The tea kitchen may end up in an escape route, as does the copy machine, while cleaning supplies may end up in the stairwell. This is both illegal and increases the fire risk.”
“If a building’s use does not comply with fire regulations, it may be discovered during a fire inspection, by the insurance company – or, in the worst case, on the day the building catches fire,” says Helene Anisimov.
In relation to fire safety installations, it is also beneficial to think the situation through carefully.
“If you end up with an add-on solution late in the project, it’s smarter to connect the new installations to the existing ones so that you don’t have multiple systems of the same type that need maintenance,” says Helene Anisimov.
During renovation or remodeling, it is equally important to ensure that the solutions are integrated into the building’s existing fire safety systems, including fire installations.
“In addition, one must be aware of any change in the building’s use, as a new use category can trigger requirements for fire compartmentation, fire installations, extra escape routes, etc.,” says Pernille G. Petersen, Technical Manager in DBI’s Fire Safety Operations Consulting department, and elaborates:
“If, for example, a daycare center is established in a residential building or a refugee camp in an old school, the use category changes. That places different demands on fire safety.”
The same applies to societal developments. In recent years, for example, we have seen an increasing number of batteries in our buildings, without necessarily designing for the increased fire risk that can be associated with many batteries.
“More and more employees bring batteries for their e-bikes into the office. This creates new challenges for fire safety. And in bicycle basements, we see e-bikes standing side by side with mopeds containing gasoline. In such cases, separate fire compartments should be established so that batteries and flammable liquids are kept apart,” says Pernille G. Petersen.
In addition to fire requirements, there may also be specific functional requirements for a building that can conflict with fire safety.
“In an airport, for example, the escape routes must be carefully planned, as security requirements and border controls must also be considered. In pharmaceutical companies, there are typically cleanrooms that must be cleaned and tested if entered by people who are not properly dressed. Only when it is ensured that the rooms are sufficiently clean for the production of medicine, can they be used again. And in other types of buildings, there may be other special requirements that must be considered. It is usually possible to reconcile these different considerations with fire requirements, but it is important that they are included already in the design phase,” concludes Helene Anisimov.
