RIBA fire safety from concept to construction

An outline of the project brief, identifying priorities and design ambition. Fire safety starts with our understanding of what the project is trying to achieve. At this earliest stage, we can provide early fire engineering input to identify key fire safety objectives, regulatory considerations, and project constraints, helping establish a realistic direction before the design develops. Early involvement gives the wider team an opportunity to consider fire safety alongside the building brief, rather than trying to accommodate it later, which is when we notice the problems creeping in.

This is where the initial fire strategy or fire statement begins to take shape. We can work with the wider design team to identify the building’s intended use and occupancy, establish known site and design constraints, and consider fundamental requirements, such as firefighting access and means of escape. Addressing these issues early gives the project team a clear set of fire safety principles to carry into concept design, before decisions become harder or more expensive to change.

Here, high-level fire safety principles should start shaping the concept itself. At this stage, we collaborate with the design team to work on elements like the location of stairs, initial compartmentation, means of escape, firestopping design, and how the emerging layout can accommodate the fire strategy. We insist on keeping our client involved as these decisions develop, bringing the relevant disciplines together to identify issues early and agree on the right approach before the design moves forward.

Fire strategy, at this stage, needs to become embedded within the developed design. It must be fully integrated, ensuring spatial coordination meets regulatory requirements and practical build considerations. Our RIBA Stage 3 fire safety support includes:

• Determining escape strategies, including stair cores, travel distances, and refuges

• Coordinating fire compartmentation, including fire-resisting walls, floors, and service penetrations

• Planning firefighting access, including fire service entry points and fire mains

• Coordinating smoke ventilation in stair cores, lobbies, and corridors where required

• Identifying service penetrations and clustering early to avoid firestopping problems later

• Aligning fire safety decisions with cost plans, specifications, and the evolving fire strategy

Here, coordinated design turns into detailed, construction-ready fire safety specifications – we are now looking at the buildability of the designs. Our fire engineers work with architects, structural and mechanical and electrical (M&E) engineers, and specialist contractors on RIBA Stage 4 fire safety specifications to resolve interfaces, confirm fire resistance requirements, and ensure the fire strategy can be translated into buildable detail. Our support includes:

• Developing detailed fire safety specifications and drawings, including compartmentation, escape, and fire resistance requirements

• Coordinating firestopping design with M&E services, identifying penetrations and interfaces before construction

• Reviewing fire-resisting products and systems against the relevant test evidence and performance requirements

• Coordinating fire doors, fire dampers, walls, floors, and other passive fire protection details with the wider design

• Reviewing critical interfaces, including wall-to-floor junctions and service risers, to support correct installation

• Updating the fire strategy as the technical design develops and resolving clashes between disciplines before they reach site

• Supporting Gateway Two submissions where applicable, ensuring the developing design is backed by the necessary technical information

As the design reaches site, we provide technical fire engineering support when queries or unexpected construction details arise. Our practical experience in passive fire protection means we understand the pitfalls that can emerge when design meets construction, helping teams resolve issues as they arise without losing sight of the agreed fire strategy and design objective.

Fire safety information needs to carry through to completion – it does not stop when construction does. At handover, the building’s fire safety information must be complete and accurate, forming an important part of the golden thread – the required record of how the building has been designed and constructed and how its safety is being managed. We can support the collation and documentation of key fire safety information too, helping anyone responsible for the building to quickly understand what has been delivered and how it needs to be maintained.

Fire safety compliance must now be ensured throughout the building’s operational life. After all, buildings are occupied, altered, and maintained over the years and, whatever changes take place, fire safety must evolve with it. We can support with a RIBA fire risk assessment, fire strategy reviews, inspections, surveys, remediation, and planned preventative maintenance, helping to understand how the building is performing in practice, identify changes that may affect fire safety, and keep the measures relied upon working as intended.