Photo by Matt Doolin
By Mo Whelan
FIRE SAFE BUILDING
In light of the recent fires in California the question again being asked is ' how can we create fire resistant buildings?' Studio RMA barely escaped the 1993 Malibu fires, so we are familiar and respectful of Mother Nature's power, and the dedication of the fire fighters who have to protect us and our property. There is much to be desired in the manner in which we build, and home owners, builders and architects need to take fire safety seriously.
Of the three main construction methods - Cement, Metal and Wood based, obviously wood based is the most vulnerable. Most houses in California do not use wood shingles anymore, for obvious reasons, yet the flying embers make a wood framed house hard to protect. Wood-framed houses can be made more fire safe by, for example, making sure all wood overhangs are protected by a stucco layer. For more information contact Studio-RMA.
photos medley
The Medley House, Topanga, CA by Studio RMA
This house features full stucco protection around all the eaves. The roofing material is slate, a better fire-safe solution than clay or Mediterranean tile. The problem with these tiles is that embers can get caught under the tiles setting alight the plywood and wood framing under it.
For new construction concrete composite buildings or steel frame buildings create a better fire safety rating.
With Metal framed buildings it is important to check the type of siding, to ensure that it is fire rated. With composite concrete buildings you will have the highest fire-rating. The SCIP building system has a fire rating of 4 hours. This building method is currently being reviewed by a special commission put forth by California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger to promote fire-safe buildings.
The SCIP building system is known for its environmental aspects as well as for its fire safety and structural strengths, and after the 1993 Malibu fires SCIP building started to reemerge in the California area. Currently there are over 1200 SCIP homes in California.