In residential architecture, fire safety measures must be planned from the beginning of the project, as they directly affect the building’s configuration: from compartmentalization between residential units and common areas, to the design of evacuation cores, installation routes, and ventilation. This type of construction presents specific characteristics that increase the risk: high occupancy density, shared evacuation routes, and elements prone to fire spread, such as interior courtyards or ventilated façades.
This is why this article analyzes the normative and technical criteria governing fire safety in residential buildings, with special attention to sectorization elements and the advantages of fire curtains and smoke control barriers. It also reviews two recent fire cases — Grenfell and Campanar — to extract lessons applicable to contemporary residential architecture.
Fires in Residential Buildings: lessons from Grenfell and Campanar
The analysis of recent fires in residential buildings provides valuable information on how certain factors can influence the spread of fire. The cases of Grenfell Tower in London and the Campanar building in Valencia highlight the importance of adequate fire safety planning, especially concerning material selection.
The Grenfell tragedy: a call to action on housing safety
The Grenfell Tower fire, which occurred on June 14, 2017, in London, was caused by an electrical fault in a refrigerator on the fourth floor. The fire spread rapidly along the building’s façade, which had been renovated in 2016 with aluminum composite panels containing polyethylene, a highly combustible material. This configuration facilitated a chimney effect between the cladding and insulation, allowing flames to rise quickly up the outside of the building. The tragedy resulted in 72 deaths and highlighted the need to review regulations related to cladding materials in high-rise buildings.
The Campanar fire: what went wrong in risk prevention?
On February 22, 2024, a devastating fire broke out in a residential complex in the Campanar neighborhood of Valencia, causing the deaths of ten people. The fire started in an apartment on the seventh floor and quickly spread along the façade of the building, which was clad in aluminum composite panels. Weather conditions, including strong winds, contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. This event has sparked a debate about the suitability of certain cladding materials and the need for stricter preventive measures in the construction of residential buildings.
What fire safety measures are required in residential building construction?
Complying with fire safety requirements in the residential sector involves not only selecting certified products but also properly integrating them into the building’s architectural and construction design. The current regulatory framework in Spain, the Basic Document on Fire Safety (CTE DB-SI), defines a series of technical conditions that directly impact the geometry, materials, and systems for sectorization, evacuation, and smoke control.
These requirements influence key decisions in the project: the positioning of sectorizing elements, solutions for installation pathways, the type of doors or mobile barriers, the ventilation of common areas, and the fire resistance required for each building element. The correct application of these measures must be evaluated not only in plan but also in section, considering the vertical continuity of passive protection and the system’s response to different fire scenarios.
Current fire safety regulations for residential buildings
The CTE DB-SI is the document that establishes the conditions that construction elements must meet to limit the spread of fire and allow safe evacuation. Among the most relevant requirements for residential projects are:
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Fire sectorization: Residential units must be separated from each other and from common elements (stairs, lobbies, technical rooms) with fire-resistant elements of at least EI-60. In buildings with more than 28 meters of evacuation height, this requirement increases to EI-90 or higher.
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Protection of vertical communication cores: Stairs, elevators, and risers must be sectorized with EI-120 elements, ensuring continuity of fire resistance throughout the entire route, including registers, doors, and installation pathways.
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Special risk areas: Meter rooms, storage rooms, or waste rooms must be separated from the rest of the building, with varying resistance depending on the risk (usually EI-90 or EI-120), based on thermal load and space accessibility.
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Smoke evacuation: UNE 23585 and EN 12101 regulate temperature control and smoke evacuation systems (SCTEH), which are mandatory in garages and recommended in enclosed lobbies, especially when far from main exits.
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Façades and fire reaction: If ventilated façades are used, insulation and finishes must meet at least a B-s3,d0 classification and include horizontal and vertical fire barriers to limit inter-floor fire spread. While the CTE does not yet require BS 8414 or ASFP tests, many specifications are increasingly demanding them as best practice.
Any construction element acting as a sectorizer must be tested according to EN 1364-1 / EN 1634-1 and classified according to EN 13501-2. Moreover, if textile systems (such as fire curtains) are used, their installation and sizing must be backed by a Technical Assessment Report (ITE) and, if they exceed tested dimensions, comply with EN 15269-11 for extrapolation.
Installation of fire safety systems in buildings: what options exist?
The current regulations allow fire compartmentalization and safety in residential buildings to be resolved with various types of solutions, the choice of which depends on architectural design, space limitations, and evacuation requirements. The most common are traditional construction systems — EI partitions, fire doors, sealed registers — which guarantee fire resistance when applied correctly, although they may require more space or interfere with aesthetic continuity.
In cases where versatility, architectural integration, or the need to maintain open areas without fixed elements is prioritized, retractable or mobile solutions such as textile curtains are available. These systems allow sectorization without altering the design or limiting the usual use of the space, and are increasingly considered in renovation projects or contemporary architecture.
Fire Curtains: the most effective solution for sectorization in residential buildings
In recent years, residential architecture has evolved toward more open configurations and an increasing demand for the integration of functionality, design, and regulations. In this context, fire curtains have become an effective solution, increasingly present in housing projects, both in new construction and rehabilitation. Their ability to act as a sectorizing element only when necessary — without interfering with the daily use of the building — makes them a key tool in passive fire protection. Below, we explore their technical advantages in these spaces:
