Wildland urban interface (WUI) building design and site considerations
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Authors
Ward, Karen K.
Issue Date
2014-05
Type
Electronic thesis
Thesis
Thesis
Language
ENG
Keywords
Architecture
Alternative Title
Abstract
The spate of recent wildfire activity in the western United States (and significant property losses) has drawn attention to what ecologists have said for years about increasing temperatures and longer periods of drought: Greater frequency and intensity of record-setting wildfires correlates to decades of forestry mismanagement practice, unprecedented growth into the wildland urban interface (WUI), and increasing seasonal temperature due to climate change. With a holistic approach to landscape design and maintenance, material selection, and architectural design, we can reduce the vulnerability of structures in areas prone to drought and wildfire activity. Understanding wildfire behavior, use of heat-resistant materials, and application of "firewise" details are crucial to the design of fire-resistant communities. Architects, engineers, and urban planners are the decision-making agents who can revolutionize a radically new approach to WUI communities.
Description
May 2014
School of Architecture
School of Architecture
Full Citation
Publisher
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY