Brandutrymning och kulturhistoriskt bevarande i äldre kyrkor : En studie som analyserar målkonflikter och potentiella lösningar för utrymning i en mindre kyrka

Sammanfattning

Churches are an important part of Sweden’s cultural heritage and are important to preserve for present and future generations. Older churches are protected by the Historic Environment Act, but they must also follow other laws that can sometimes conflict. One example is fire safety, where the design of smaller churches, often featuring only one escape route, may be challenged by current fire safety standards. This can lead to restrictions on occupancy, which may affect the church’s activities. This report therefore studies evacuation in fire situations in older, smaller churches. The study is based on a case study, interviews, calculations and simulations, and a review of literature and documents. The aim is to identify conflicts of interest, analyze how doors affect evacuation, and examine how alternative escape routes can be designed. The case study focuses on an older stone church, where an analytical approach is used to understand how the building’s conditions affect evacuation during a fire. Possible measures to reach the target occupancy were also studied. Interviews with people working in fire safety, cultural heritage, and property management provide practical insights. Although the available literature is limited and mostly about historic buildings in general, it can still be used as guidance for churches. The results show that analytical methods are useful for finding solutions adapted to each building. Measures related to doors and evacuation through windows can help increase the allowed number of people. Early collaboration and better knowledge of existing solutions are important to manage conflicting requirements.