Responsive Architecture and Fire Safety: A Comparative Review of Regulatory Regimes in the USA, Asia, and the EU/UK, with Implications for Poland in the Context of BIM/DT/AI/IoT

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.