McNair Summer Research Program
Faculty Mentor(s)
Daniel López-Pérez
Publication Date
Summer 8-13-2025
Disciplines
Architecture | Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis | Environmental Design | Other Architecture | Urban, Community and Regional Planning
Description, Abstract, or Artist's Statement
With the intensifying threat of wildfires across California, evident in the destruction of over 16,000 structures during the 2025 Los Angeles fires, there is an urgent need to reconsider how residential structures are conceived in fire-prone zones. While existing building codes and guidelines have made notable progress in addressing wildfire risk, their predominant focus on “home hardening” often overlooks the potential of site planning, spatial configuration, and architectural design as agents of wildfire resilience.
This study, conducted through the McNair Scholars Program under the mentorship of Professor Daniel Lopez-Perez, ultimately develops a Wildfire-Resilient Design Guide and three connective drawings through a process-based, multi-scalar analysis of current wildfire resilience recommendations. The research compares six interconnected layers of governance: (1) International: model standards such as the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC); (2) Federal: national frameworks like NFPA 1140/1144; (3) State: California-specific mandates including Title 24, Chapter 7A and CAL FIRE’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone mapping; (4) City: local zoning and permitting processes that may exceed state law; (5) IBHS: voluntary, performance-based standards from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety; and (6) Wildland Fires: nonprofit-led climate science, hazard mapping, and fire modeling research that informs adaptive design strategies.
Included in
Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis Commons, Environmental Design Commons, Other Architecture Commons, Urban, Community and Regional Planning Commons