Project by Shahnaj Sharmin Rimu
This project is situated on Alzada Road in Altadena, California, a site devastated by the Eaton Fire. It addresses California’s recurring wildfires, intensified by climate change through rising temperatures, shifting rainfall, and reduced soil moisture. Framed within the “age of the Pyrocene,” it rethinks the relationship between built form and landscape, using design to support resilience. Zonal landscapes are created, including fire-resistant areas, windbreaks, pollinator habitats, riparian corridors, and zones managed through ladder fuel removal, temporary hard-surface firebreaks, and cultural burning, slow fire spread and protect soil and biodiversity. For post-wildfire recovery, modular living units with existing foundations provide displaced residents with rapid, cost-effective housing that restores a sense of home while using resilient materials such as glass and stucco. Together, architecture and landscape operate in synergy to resist and recover from wildfire.
