The restrictions on the use of wood in large industrial and public buildings are being reviewed – from now on, wood can be widely used in buildings with higher fire resistance ratings, provided that appropriate fire safety systems are in place.

This is outlined in the amendments to the Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No. 333, "Regulations on Latvian Construction Standards LBN 201-15 ‘Building Fire Safety’," developed by the Ministry of Economics (ME), which were approved by the government on Tuesday, December 9.

"These amendments are a significant step towards sustainable construction, as the use of wood reduces carbon emissions and promotes the development of the local wood processing and construction industries. The adopted regulation will allow us to move to the next stage of wood construction development in Latvia – from low-rise buildings to multi-storey, energy-efficient, and climate-neutral buildings, while also making the regulatory requirements more precise and better suited to modern construction practices," said Minister of Economics Viktors Valainis.

Until now, wood as the main load-bearing construction material was allowed only for buildings with lower fire resistance ratings. For example, in residential buildings, offices, and public buildings, it was permitted up to a 18-meter height of the last floor and up to 2000 square meters of floor area. For manufacturing and warehouse buildings, wooden load-bearing structures were allowed only up to an 8-meter height of the last floor and 2000 square meters of floor area. For hospitals, nursing homes, social buildings, schools, and kindergartens, the use of wood was even more restricted: only up to 8 meters in height and 800 square meters in area. From now on, if appropriate safety solutions are provided – for example, automatic fire extinguishing (sprinkler) systems, fireproof coverings for load-bearing structures, and smoke-protected staircases – wood can also be used in multi-storey and large-volume buildings. Thus, the new regulations maintain a balance between the broader use of wood in construction and building fire safety.

It is planned that with the entry into force of the regulations on January 1, 2026, multi-storey residential buildings, schools, hospitals, etc., can be built up to 28 meters in height (approximately nine storeys) with fire-resistant partition areas of up to 2500 m². Public buildings, such as office, cultural, sports, or retail buildings, can also be built up to 28 meters in height with fire-resistant partition areas of up to 5000 m², while production and warehouse buildings, where the fire load is lower, will be allowed to be built up to 10,000 m².

The amendments also include several clarifications aimed at eliminating unclear and overlapping standards. To ensure a consistent and clear approach to design, conditions for external wall insulation materials and the placement of fire-resistant separation zones are being clarified. References to outdated standards and redundant fire-fighting water supply requirements are being removed, as these issues are addressed in other regulations.

A more proportional regulation for smaller buildings is also foreseen – for example, the fire resistance requirements for internal stairs in single-family homes will no longer be the same as for public evacuation stairs.

In the case of renovations, the possibility is provided to retain existing ceiling structures if fire safety is achieved through other solutions, such as fire-resistant coverings or cladding. This means that buildings with wooden or mixed ceiling structures will no longer be required to install a new concrete ceiling if an equivalent safety level can be achieved with modern materials and technical solutions.