The introduction of the Building Safety Act in 2022 marked a seismic shift in how safety is embedded in building design and construction across the UK. Developed in response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy and following Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review recommendations, the Act introduces sweeping reforms to enhance building safety, particularly in high-rise and high-risk residential buildings.
The Act introduces new statutory responsibilities for architects. They are no longer peripheral consultants in the early design stages but now legally accountable duty holders, required to demonstrate that safety, including fire resistance, is prioritised and maintained from concept through to completion.
As fire safety becomes inseparable from architectural design, we explore why architects must now take a proactive role in specifying fire-resistant materials and systems, including mechanical ventilation—where product choice and integration can have significant implications for compliance.
Fire resistance is no longer a late-stage construction detail but a foundational design parameter. The Building Safety Act explicitly obliges architects to “design out” risk early. This includes ensuring structural elements, materials, and systems resist flame spread, protect escape routes, and allow for safe evacuation.
Under the revised regulatory regime, this means integrating fire resistance into layout, materials, and building services. Crucially, architects must consider how elements like walls, ceilings, and service penetrations perform under fire conditions, ensuring that any breaches (such as those made for ventilation ductwork) do not compromise the integrity of compartmentation.
This change is particularly impactful for projects falling within the Act’s scope, being buildings over 18 metres in height or having at least seven storeys, those containing multiple dwellings, or those classified as higher risk buildings (HRBs).
The Act introduces a dutyholder framework, aligning closely with CDM 2015 regulations. Architects are now formally recognised as Principal Designers under the Building Regulations, responsible for ensuring that fire safety is demonstrably accounted for at each Gateway:
Throughout the duration of the three gateways, a comprehensive digital record forming part of the “Golden Thread” must prove that what is ultimately built aligns with what was initially designed. The Golden Thread covers all aspects of a building's design, construction, and maintenance throughout its entire lifecycle.
Failing to fulfil these duties carries legal risk. Therefore, architects must be confident in their specifications, especially where ventilation interacts with fire-resistant elements.
Modern buildings are more airtight and energy-efficient than ever. As a result, mechanical ventilation systems such as MVHR and MEV are no longer optional but a regulatory necessity under Part F and Part L of the Building Regulations in highly air-tight dwellings
However, if poorly specified or installed, these systems can become pathways for smoke and flame spread, undermining compartmentation strategies.
Key intersections include:
Architects must collaborate early with M&E consultants and ventilation manufacturers to ensure that systems meet both ventilation performance requirements and fire resistance criteria under Approved Document B.
Architects must now ask: “How does this product or system affect the building’s fire strategy?” This question is especially important when working with increasingly ambitious sustainability and air quality targets.
For example, specifying an MVHR system in a high-rise block may deliver SAP gains and IAQ improvements, but it also introduces fire-stopping challenges that must be mitigated with the correct use of fire-rated ductwork, dampers, and accessories. Oversight at this stage can cause compliance failures, project delays, or post-handover disputes.
The BEAMA Ventilation Group highlights the growing need for competency in specifying whole-house ventilation systems, emphasising that safety and efficiency are not mutually exclusive.
Given the complexity of regulatory overlap — Parts B, F, L, and increasingly O — it is essential that architects work with trusted suppliers who offer fully tested, compliant, and well-documented solutions.
Seek out a ventilation partner who can support you in meeting the demands of these regulations through:
Critically, this kind of end-to-end support helps architects, designers, and specifiers balance fire safety, buildability, and compliance to achieve project sign-off without project delays.
The Building Safety Act has fundamentally changed how building design is conducted in the UK. Architects are no longer isolated from construction accountability; they are now at its centre. Fire resistance is now a design-stage priority, not just a compliance box to be ticked post-tender.
Incorporating fire-resistant ventilation solutions early can reduce risk, avoid delays, and ensure safer, future-ready buildings. To this end, it is crucial to partner with a ventilation supplier who can confidently support architectural teams with compliant systems, technical guidance, and a track record of reliability.
To ensure your ventilation specifications are safe, compliant, and buildable, contact Titon for expert advice or explore the Titon FireSafe® Range for more information.