Built Environment–Smarter Transformation (BE-ST) in Glasgow has been awarded a €219,000 grant from Built by Nature to lead research into fire safety in mass timber buildings across the UK.

The grant responds directly to the UK Government's 2023 Timber in Construction Roadmap, which called for research to improve understanding of timber's safe use in construction. The project will involve collaboration with the University of Edinburgh Fire Research Centre, and additional funding from Edinburgh Napier University, Timber Development UK, Confor, and the Structural Timber Association.

The research will address key knowledge gaps and provide recommendations for advancing fire safety research and regulatory policy for mass timber buildings. BE-ST will directly contribute its findings to the Government's Timber in Construction policy working group, creating a roadmap of necessary research and testing to address concerns about mass timber fire safety.


"This project is about moving beyond an environment of doubt, concern, and negative perceptions towards a broader scientific understanding of mass timber construction," Joe Giddings, Built by Nature's European Network Lead, said.

"The roadmap will plot a pathway out of the fog of misperception and address that uniquely British conundrum of questioning whether or not it is safe to build using timber whilst simultaneously constructing many buildings using timber."

The project will utilize the University of Edinburgh's timber research expertise and BE-ST's industry network to develop the roadmap and facilitate collaboration between industry and government stakeholders. Researchers will conduct a literature review of mass timber fire safety and analyse existing research on timber buildings in the UK and internationally to define future research priorities.

The team will also recommend immediate policy actions to support the UK government and industry in advancing fire safety for multi-storey timber buildings, and advocate for government commitment to future research and testing. Stakeholder engagement will be a key component, ensuring collaborative and informed decision-making to promote safe and sustainable multi-storey timber construction.