How do glass curtain wall system design choices affect building fire egress and smoke control strategies?

Glass curtain wall systems can significantly influence building life-safety performance—particularly egress and smoke control—because they affect compartmentation, facade contribution to fire spread, and pressure relationships in adjacent zones. Designers in the Middle East and Central Asia must coordinate curtain wall choices—operable vents, spandrel composition, and perimeter firestopping—with building-wide fire-engineered solutions. Large glazed atria or floor-to-floor glazed façades can alter smoke movement patterns and may require integration of smoke control systems and zoned pressurization.

Fire-rated glazed assemblies and intumescent perimeter seals are essential where the façade forms part of the building’s fire separation. For occupant egress, ensure that external glazing does not hinder emergency access for rescue operations. Where façade elements span multiple floors, design horizontal and vertical fire barriers (fire stops) to maintain compartmentation and prevent vertical smoke migration.

Curtain wall perimeter details must be compatible with mechanical smoke control strategies. For example, pressurized stair enclosures adjacent to glazed façades require reliable perimeter seals to prevent pressure bleed. Operable façade vents tied into the building management and fire alarm systems can help achieve classified smoke relief but must be fail-safe and maintain integrity during an event.

Coordinate early with fire engineers to carry out CFD smoke modeling for complex façades, and specify tested firestop systems at slab edges and curtain wall joints. Integrating these design considerations into façade specifications helps to preserve safe egress and efficient smoke management strategies across regions such as Riyadh, Dubai, or Tashkent.