“Local and Resilient: BioBased Building in High Risk Fire Zones”

AIA-CEU

This session explores how natural building strategies, especially straw bale construction, can increase wildfire resilience in the wildland–urban interface. Presenters will share design and construction techniques that reduce ignition risks, improve building durability during climate extremes, and support recovery through resources like CASBA’s Fire Rebuilding Toolkit

Prerequisite Knowledge:
None required.

HSW Justification:
This course addresses Health by improving occupant safety during wildfires, smoke events, and heat waves; Safety by teaching building and landscape strategies that reduce ignition risk and increase structural resilience; and Welfare by promoting long-term durability, lower maintenance, and community preparedness for wildfire-prone areas

Learning Objective 1:
Identify the most common ignition sources from wildfire and explain how design and construction strategies can reduce building vulnerability.

Learning Objective 2:
Evaluate how natural building methods, particularly straw bale construction, enhance resilience to drought, smoke, power outages, and heat waves.

Learning Objective 3:
Apply best practices in landscape management, building features, and community cooperation to improve survival odds in wildfire-prone regions.

Learning Objective 4:
Utilize resources such as CASBA’s Fire Rebuilding Toolkit to support more effective recovery and long-term resilience in wildfire-affected communities.

David Arkin, AIA, seeks harmony in the relationship between building and site, and enjoys resolving roof forms and details. He is past co-Chair of the AIA’s 2030 Commitment Working Group, and represented AIA on the Embodied Carbon Harmonization and Optimization project, a cross-disciplinary coalition towards reducing embodied carbon in the built environment. He currently co-hosts a monthly ‘Grow ‘n’ Tell’ webinar for the BioBased Materials Collective (BBMC). For ten years he served as Director of the California Straw Building Association (CASBA), advocating for natural building systems in the building codes, and publishing ‘Straw Bale Building Details, An Illustrated Guide for Design and Construction’. A native of Wisconsin, David studied architecture the University of Minnesota and UC Berkeley. He balances his passion for backcountry snowboarding with long distance cycling, often raising funds for CASBA on Climate Rides.

Anni Tilt, AIA, likes to balance practicality and delight, and has a keen eye for design, quality control and detail. Prior to founding ATA, Anni worked eight years with internationally acclaimed Fernau & Hartman Architects, and DEGW – an innovative London-based firm specializing in workplace design – as well as a construction coordinator for a major building contractor in Seattle. With a B.S.E. in Civil Engineering from Princeton University, Anni explored ecological use of wood in construction, taught structures and design, and was awarded the Branner Traveling Fellowship while pursuing an M.Arch at UC Berkeley. Always interested in the intersection of art and science, Anni is a founding member of CASBA and contributed to its Detail Book. Anni is a board member of the West Berkeley Design Loop, a coordinator of a local egg Co-op, and has served on numerous award juries.