Introduction Background A Building’s design is partly a product of people’s hopes and expectations. Indeed, as technology advances and people’s views of life change, their comprehension of lived spaces adopt the same shift (Tamari 2017; Holleran 2015). For example, urbanization and population growth have seen developers increasingly adopt vertical living solutions to economize on space (Wood et al. 2014). This kind of construction has made it possible for people and offices to be housed in one building and is unlike traditional construction options of bungalow living where buildings would not go higher than two storeys. The first types of high-rise buildings were primarily designed to meet the rising demand for urban commercial spaces in major cities around the world (Park & The Images Publishing Group 2014). They were also primarily amenity-packed housing structures for the wealthy (Al-Kodmany 2018). However, over time, the trend changed, and many cities started developing high-rise buildings for middle and low-income dwellers. Changing lifestyle patterns have also added to the vertical living trend because people are starting families later in life. Therefore, the need to have a garden and compound to support families, as was the case in the past, does not arise until later in life. This lifestyle change means that many people prefer to live in high-rise buildings to save on rental costs, transport expenses, and to be near their places of work. As countries continue to develop, the vertical living trend is set to become more popular in both construction and architectural industries (Sayigh 2016). Indeed, according to Al-Kodmany (2018), high-rise buildings are becoming the most common type of dwelling in many cities around the world. Similar to many wealthy nations, high-rise buildings are also popular in Asia because many of its cities are experiencing transformational growth through rapid economic development. For example, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo are classic examples of cities that house most of their populations in high-rise buildings (Tamari 2017). In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Burj Khalifa building, which is the tallest in the world, is more than 160 storeys high (Visit Dubai 2019). The Shanghai Tower in China is another tall building, which is more than 120 storeys high (Council of Tall Buildings and Habitats 2019). In Qatar, many high-rise buildings are located in the country’s major capital – Doha. The tallest building in the city is the Aspire Tower and it is about 300 meters tall. There are many types of high-rise buildings in Qatar but among the first major structures was the Umm Al Abdilli residential building, which was completed in 1993. The building was 50 storeys high and since its construction, there have been taller buildings developed in the country. The construction of tall buildings in Qatar is necessary because of the desire for contractors to maximize space use and exploit economies of scale in construction (Sayigh 2016). Land use limitations have also contributed to the emergence and proliferation of these buildings in many countries around the world. Although the growth of high-rise buildings has helped to address housing problems, it poses a challenge to the management of fires because of t