Decision-Making in Sustainable and Fire-Safe Building Design

Abstract

The construction industry faces many challenges, among which sustainability has become a prominent global goal to assess. In a European context, environmental certifications such as the Nordic Swan Ecolabel are a key incentive for addressing sustainability challenges and aim to reach the 2030 goals (UNFCCC, 2015). However, these incentives and considerations must be integrated with the requirements that must be met, including fire-safety as one of several critical design constraints.

This study contributes to creating an increased understanding of the complexity of trade-offs within sustainable building design, where fire-safety acts as a key constraint. It emphasizes how sufficient interaction between stakeholders affected the project and in turn how the sustainability aspect was affected. The aim is to assess how the decision-making process is conducted and, in turn, how it affects the sustainability aspect of the project and how sustainability considerations are shaped within fire-safety requirements.

This thesis investigates the decision-making process in the building construction industry with a focus on sustainability and how it relates to fire-safety. The study is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews of a residential building located in Malmö, Sweden. The study gives insights on what trade-offs were made in the process and intended to create a nuanced picture of the sustainability aspect of the project.

The results show that the building process to a high degree is governed by existing rules and regulations, pre-existing procedures, and financial incentives. Adhering to fire-safety regulations is non-negotiable, while the sustainability aspect of the project generally is integrated within the
provided framework limited by fire-safety measures. This in turn means that sustainability considerations often are adapted within the constraints imposed by the fire-safety requirements. Furthermore, the decision-making power for the project was unevenly distributed, with
stakeholders responsible for occupant safety being implicitly prioritized.

However, the study shows that requirements to a significant extent are fulfilled through standardized methods, certifications, and pre-existing experiences, which contribute to the project's solid structure and sufficient outcome. Communication between stakeholders operated well, although some minor miscommunications, which led to retroactive alterations, could be identified. Digital tools, such as BIM software and communication platforms, played a significant part in the data management and coordination of the project.

Furthermore, the study indicated that the early stages of the design process were crucial for how well sustainability- and fire-safety measures could be integrated. Decisions made during the design and system documentation phase tended to have a substantial impact on the project. Alterations made during the production phase had limited room for maneuver and resulted in a greater environmental impact than needed. Finally, the study concludes that no negative systematic drawbacks could be identified relating to sustainability design and its decision-making process. However, the study indicated that potential improvements regarding optimizing coordination and continuity between stakeholders could benefit the project.

Popular Abstract

Balancing Sustainability and Fire-safety in Building Design

The building sector makes up a large portion of the world's global carbon emissions, which thereby makes sustainable design a crucial societal issue. At the same time, modern buildings must fulfill high requirements in regards to function and economy. An especially prominent correlation is the one between sustainability and fire-safety.

In construction projects many stakeholders usually are involved, for example, architects, structural engineers, fire-safety consultants, and project managers. All working towards the same end goal, a well-working building, although their priorities may differ. A material that is beneficial from an
environmental standpoint may not always be optimal from a fire-safety standpoint.

This study investigates a residential building called Västra Vakten, located in Malmö, Sweden. In order to understand how decisions regarding fire-safety and sustainability are conducted in practice. The study is ased upon insights gathered from interviews with relevant stakeholders as well as documents gathered from the developers internal software.

The results show that fire-safety in practice in an area is rarely meddled with, instead other aspects of the design more often than not have to take the back seat. Safety requirements and regulations must be fulfilled, which thereby results in sustainability solutions needing to be adapted in regard to fire-safety and rarely vice versa. At the same time, the insights indicated that sustainability issues were integrated early in the process through environmental certifications and requirements.

The study shows that early design decisions have a big influence on how well sustainability and fire-safety designs are incorporated into processes. When different stakeholders collaborate early in the process, the risk for misunderstandings and late alterations drastically decreases. Digital tools and sufficient communication, therefore, made a large impact on the project's state.

By understanding how decisions are made in construction projects, future buildings can result in becoming more sustainable and efficient, without compromising for security.

• author: Ekvall, Alice and Ndikumana, Carl-Anthony
• supervisor: Pieter de Wilde; Asala Bandak
• organization: Division of Energy and Building Design
• course: AEBM01 20261
• year: 2026
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Technology and Engineering
• keywords: Sustainability, Fire-safety, Decision-making, Trade-offs, Case study, Nordic Eco Swan Certification
• language: English
• id: 9241361
• date added to LUP: 2026-06-23 09:43:10
• date last changed: 2026-06-23 09:43:10