Modern architecture has evolved beyond mere shelters from the elements, transforming into the face of a city and an embodiment of cutting-edge technology. From structures that merge aesthetics with safety and functionality, to open spaces that offer a sense of vastness, undulating glass curtain walls, and smart buildings managed by artificial intelligence (AI), architecture in our era is progressing at a dazzling pace.

However, behind this brilliant evolution lies a formidable barrier that has been hindering architects' creativity and industrial efficiency for 40 years: the rigid physical fire separation principles dictated by outdated fire safety laws.

∆ Improvement of Smoke Control and Fire Compartmentation Regulations Based on Area

Current laws mandate the installation of firewalls, shutters, and smoke barrier walls at specific area intervals, irrespective of fire risk or building characteristics. This results in open lobbies meticulously designed by architects being fragmented by unsightly glass partitions descending from the ceiling, and large automated lines in logistics warehouses being obstructed by mechanically erected firewalls, disrupting material flow.

Regulations intended for 'safety' paradoxically become 'partitioning regulations' on the ground, hindering construction efficiency and creating new hazards. The limitations of this legal rigidity were starkly revealed in recent large-scale fires at logistics centers and auto parts factories.

The intense black smoke generated when polymer compounds burn overwhelms the capacity and function of existing smoke control systems instantaneously. Furthermore, in large spaces with high ceilings, detectors installed only at the ceiling, as per regulations, remain silent until the smoke reaches the upper levels. Alarms that sound only after loss of life are merely a case of 'shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted'.

The 'positive pressure system,' which creates an air curtain along escape routes to prevent smoke from entering during a fire, makes evacuation doors too heavy, leading to tragedies where children or the elderly cannot open them in critical situations.

∆ Improvement of Passive Fire Protection Systems Relying Solely on Physical Barriers

The 20th-century passive fire protection approach, which segregates spaces with physical walls, detracts from architectural aesthetics and can cause secondary damage by obstructing escape routes in case of malfunction. The alternative now is 'active control,' combining AI fire prediction, sound field sensors, and IoT wireless fire safety networks. Technology has already entered the 21st century, yet the law remains confined within the 'iron gate' of the 20th century. A shift towards flexible, technology-driven safety design beyond outdated regulations is urgently needed.

Innovative alternatives like AI-based real-time fire prediction (FIRE4CAST) and sound field sensors are available. 'Active control' is now possible, allowing for air current analysis and opening optimal smoke exhaust routes within the 'golden hour' before flames spread. Intelligent water curtain systems and smart dampers should be used to manage air currents, maintaining openness while securing the golden hour.

∆ Improvement of 'Positive Regulations' that Only Allow What is Explicitly Stated in Law, Hindering New Technology Adoption

Even when innovative AI fire safety technologies like IoT integrated control or wireless fire detection systems are developed, they are blocked by outdated legal standards and cannot be applied in the field. While 'Performance-Based Design (PBD)' has been introduced, allowing designers to autonomously achieve fire safety performance tailored to building use and characteristics, conservative review practices and a reluctance to take responsibility have ultimately resulted in merely repeating existing regulatory frameworks.

The paradigm of fire safety administration must now completely shift from a focus on 'containment' to one on 'management and performance.' Scientific approaches that assess actual escape time through 'smoke behavior simulation' should be universally adopted, rather than prescriptive regulations that merely dictate wall placement. New technologies that simultaneously achieve architectural openness and safety, such as using a powerful water curtain to block flames instead of physical walls, must be boldly integrated into the established system.

Architecture should be 'art,' and fire safety should be 'science.'

If architecture is the face of a city, then fire safety is the invisible vascular system that protects it. The fire safety laws must be transformed into 'technology-neutral fire safety laws' that remove restrictive clauses stifling architects' creativity and allow room for digital twins and AI technologies to flourish. Safety is derived not from the quantity of regulations but from the quality of technology.

The National Fire Agency and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport must analyze current issues and cooperate to unlock outdated restrictions, seeking legislation and enforcement decrees that enable the coexistence of AI-based intelligent fire safety and creative architecture. Thus, we must enhance the competitiveness of South Korean architecture and fulfill our duty to protect the lives of our citizens.

◆ Youngjin Cho

CEO of Roze AI