Wojciech Bonenberg

Responsive architecture is increasingly understood as an adaptive socio-technical paradigm in which buildings respond to environmental conditions, user behavior, and safety-related events through integrated sensing, computation, and control. In parallel, fire-safety engineering is shifting from a predominantly prescriptive design toward performance-based, data-informed, and continuously monitored safety approaches. This study develops a conceptual framework for dynamic fire-safety systems (DFS) by combining a Scopus-based bibliometric analysis with a regulatory gap analysis. The bibliometric component is based on 116 Scopus-indexed sources published between 2019 and 2026 and analyzed using VOSviewer. Six DFS conceptual domains were derived deductively from established normative engineering sources prior to and independently of the Scopus search. The bibliometric analysis indicates an interpretive convergence between these domains and the emerging research clusters, understood as conceptual coherence rather than formal validation. The study also examines regulatory implications using Poland as an illustrative case of a predominantly prescriptive and document-based fire-safety framework. Six regulatory gaps were identified, with respect to adaptive systems, performance-based design pathways, BIM/data interoperability, cybersecurity, functional testing, and heritage-building equivalency. Based on these findings, the article proposes a staged reform pathway linking responsive architecture, digital building technologies, and fire-safety engineering with broader sustainability objectives related to resilient infrastructure and safer cities. The regulatory gap analysis is based on documentary sources and has not been independently validated by fire-safety professionals or regulatory authorities; therefore, the findings should be read as conceptual and exploratory rather than as practice-validated policy recommendations.

This study presents a comparative analysis of six DFS implementations representing different maturity levels and investigates the systemic gap between technological capabilities and regulatory approaches. A structured narrative review with case-based analysis was conducted using the Scopus database (2015–2026) with six targeted queries. The case selection followed the PICo protocol. An original ten-criterion DFS maturity assessment rubric—grounded in the Technology Readiness Level (TRL), Integration Readiness Level (IRL), and Digital Twin Maturity Model frameworks—was applied to all six cases. Inter-rater validation yielded substantial agreement (κw = 0.797; unweighted κ = 0.674 [95% CI: 0.509, 0.839]). The results indicate a clear maturity gradient (Dimension X: 4–9 points; Dimension Y: 2–8 points). Benefits reported in the analysed primary studies include up to a 55 s reduction in evacuation time, a 72% improvement compared with static signage, and a 34-percentage-point increase in evacuation success rate under simulation-based conditions. Five normative recommendations are proposed to address the structural regulatory gap between current prescriptive frameworks and DFS deployment in Poland and the EU. This study argues that prescriptive rules should remain the baseline, whereas complex facilities may adopt performance-based DFS solutions, provided that equivalence to conventional protection levels is rigorously demonstrated. From a sustainability perspective, the study frames DFS as a dynamic safety layer that supports occupant protection, operational resilience, and lifecycle adaptability in complex buildings exposed to uncertain fire and crowd conditions.

Despite advances in engineering, fire safety improvements have plateaued in developed nations, necessitating a reassessment of resource allocation. This study develops a comprehensive fire safety assessment model for the Polish context using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). A panel of ten experts—comprising fire safety inspectors, State Fire Service officers, and architects—evaluated safety through a two-dimensional framework: the Fire Hazard Index (FHI) and Fire Safety Index (FSI). The results reveal a critical asymmetry: human factors (0.228) and combustible materials dominate the hazard landscape, whereas intelligent AI/IoT systems (0.4133) and passive protection (0.2113) offer the highest potential for safety enhancement. A novel “convergence–divergence” phenomenon was identified: hazard-focused assessments produce convergent priorities across building types (span 0.116), implying universal mitigation needs (e.g., education), while protection-focused assessments yield divergent priorities (span 0.250), justifying targeted investment. Specifically, healthcare facilities (ZL II) require disproportionate protection investment (priority 0.310). The study concludes that sustainable fire safety strategies must combine universal hazard mitigation with targeted technological interventions, offering a data-driven framework for policy optimization in Poland.

This article compares selected fire safety regulatory systems in Japan, China, the United States, and the EU/UK, interpreted through the lens of responsive architecture and the implementation of digital technologies—building information modelling (BIM), digital twins (DTs), artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT). The study adopts a qualitative approach based on a structured review of legal acts, technical standards, public-sector reports, and the scientific and professional literature, organised using a common analytical framework. First, the analysis identifies shared foundations across regimes: the primacy of life safety, mandatory detection and alarm functions, fire compartmentation, requirements for protected means of exit, and the increasing importance of documenting the operational status of protection measures. Then, it contrasts key differences, including the permissibility of performance-based design (PBD), the degree to which digital documentation is formally recognised, organisational enforcement models, and cybersecurity approaches for integrated fire alarm/voice alarm/building management/IoT ecosystems. Japan and selected Chinese cities combine stringent requirements with openness to dynamic solutions and urban-scale data platforms. The USA relies on a decentralised code-based ecosystem with a strong role for professional and industry bodies, while the EU/UK continues to strengthen harmonised standards and digital building registers, reinforced by lessons after the Grenfell Tower fire. Against this background, Poland is discussed as broadly aligned in goals and baseline technical requirements yet lagging behind in implementing PBD pathways, digital registers, formal BIM/DT integration, and minimum cybersecurity requirements. The proposed directions for change aim to create a more predictable regulatory and technical framework for the development of responsive architecture and dynamic fire safety systems in Poland. The study contributes to the sustainability literature by framing regulatory readiness for digital fire safety as a lifecycle resilience strategy, directly relevant to safe, resource-efficient, and inclusive built environments.

Despite advances in engineering, fire safety improvements have plateaued in developed nations, necessitating a reassessment of resource allocation. This study develops a comprehensive fire safety assessment model for the Polish context using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). A panel of ten experts—comprising fire safety inspectors, State Fire Service officers, and architects—evaluated safety through a two-dimensional framework: the Fire Hazard Index (FHI) and Fire Safety Index (FSI). The results reveal a critical asymmetry: human factors (0.228) and combustible materials dominate the hazard landscape, whereas intelligent AI/IoT systems (0.4133) and passive protection (0.2113) offer the highest potential for safety enhancement. A novel "convergence-divergence" phenomenon was identified: hazard-focused assessments produce convergent priorities across building types (span 0.116), implying universal mitigation needs (e.g., education), while protection-focused assessments yield divergent priorities (span 0.250), justifying targeted investment. Specifically, healthcare facilities (ZL II) require disproportionate protection investment (priority 0.310). The study concludes that sustainable fire safety strategies must combine universal hazard mitigation with targeted technological interventions, offering a data-driven framework for policy optimization in Poland.

This article compares selected fire-safety regulatory systems in Japan, China, the United States, and the EU/UK, interpreted through the lens of responsive architecture and the implementation of digital technologies—Building Information Modeling (BIM), Digital Twins (DT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT). The study adopts a qualitative approach based on a structured review of legal acts, technical standards, public-sector reports, and scientific and professional literature, organised using a common analytical framework. First, the analysis identifies shared foundations across regimes: the primacy of life safety, mandatory detection and alarm functions, fire compartmentation, requirements for protected means of egress, and the increasing importance of documenting the operational status of protection measures [1,6]. It then contrasts key differences, including the permissibility of performance-based design (PBD), the extent to which digital documentation is formally recognised, organisational enforcement models, and approaches to cybersecurity for integrated Fire Alarm/Voice Alarm/Building Management/IoT ecosystems. Japan and selected Chinese cities combine stringent requirements with openness to dynamic solutions and urban-scale data platforms [2]. The USA relies on a decentralised, code-based ecosystem with a strong role for professional and industry bodies, while the EU/UK continue to strengthen harmonised standards and digital building registers, reinforced by lessons following the Grenfell Tower fire [3,4]. Against this background, Poland is discussed as broadly aligned in goals and baseline technical requirements, yet lagging in implementing PBD pathways, digital registers, formal BIM/DT integration, and minimum cybersecurity requirements. The proposed directions for change aim to create a more predictable regulatory and technical framework for the development of responsive architecture and dynamic fire-safety systems in Poland.

Dynamic fire-safety systems are no longer futuristic; they are a viable alternative to rigid, prescriptive approaches to occupant protection and evacuation. This paper analyses three case studies where Building Information Modelling (BIM), a Digital Twin (DT), Internet-of-Things (IoT) sensor networks, Artificial Intelligence (AI) control algorithms, and dynamic evacuation signage were integrated to support a Dynamic Fire-Safety System (DFS). Secondary research covered a university building in Lille, the Beijing Capital Airport Emergency Center, and a shopping mall in the Taipei 101 high-rise complex. All facilities meet formal requirements, yet a BIM/DT/IoT/AI layer suggests better performance under fire conditions. Methods included a structured literature review, BIM-based fire modelling in Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), evacuation simulations, and comparison of static versus dynamic paradigms. The workflow reconstructs fire–evacuation scenarios to assess time-dependent tenability, exit viability, and congestion-driven bottlenecks. In Lille, DFS serves as a computational laboratory for design decisions; in Beijing, as a decision-support core controlling signage in near real time; and in Taipei 101, as an optimisation-driven strategy for multi-storey occupant populations. Across the cases, DFS-oriented solutions are reported to shorten evacuation time and/or increase the probability of successful evacuation relative to static arrangements. Reported benefits depend on clear cue visibility and timely actuation of guidance signals. Implications for Poland are discussed: prescriptive rules should remain a baseline, while complex facilities may adopt performance-based solutions grounded in BIM/DT/IoT/AI, provided equivalence to conventional protection is demonstrated.

The application of the same global legal regulations to areas with different climates, landscapes, and cultural and urban conditions may ultimately lead to decisions that are unsuitable for the region, which could result in poor investment and development decisions for the municipality. This article examines how sustainability regulations established locally, in response to local conditions, differ from global regulations created without considering the differences between the areas to which they apply. Selected criteria were assessed in relation to global and local regulations, and then, based on these criteria and their weights, rankings of the strengths and weaknesses of municipalities were proposed in relation to the selected criteria, the weights of which were evaluated depending on the adopted global or local regulations. The AHP method was used to conduct this multi-criteria assessment, based both on expert group opinions and artificial intelligence tools. The aim of this analysis was to demonstrate differences in the hierarchies of sustainable development aspects implemented globally and locally, as well as local conditions. The assessment results indicate discrepancies between expert knowledge, which takes into account local conditions, and the priorities resulting from general legal regulations. Some areas important from a local perspective, such as building density or mixed-use development, are insufficiently addressed in legal regulations, both under Polish and EU law and local law. This also contradicts current trends in urban planning theory, which advocates a shift away from zoning. Others, such as energy efficiency in buildings and renewable energy sources, are strongly present in both national and EU law but are not implemented in local regulations.

The climate crisis and global warming have intensified heatwaves, especially in cities, where urban heat islands make conditions unhealthy, particularly for vulnerable members of the society like the elderly persons and children. In cities like Barcelona and Milan, geographical and population factors worsen this effect. Mitigating urban heat involves strategies at three levels: urban policy, settlementscale projects, and architectural interventions, focusing on improving the urban climate, enhancing energy efficiency, and incorporating greenery. This paper compares how Barcelona and Milan address heat waves, examining not just their effectiveness but also the cultural values shaping these urban and architectural strategies.