PHN Continuing Education
Fire has always been a normal part of the west but with climate change and ever-expanding built environments our homes and cities are increasingly vulnerable. Firewise design strategies have been based on years of research on wildlands urban interface and home design with promising results. With the advent of Passive House design strategies the multiplier of energy effect practices have translated well beyond just energy savings and comfort but as an organizing factor of resiliency from fire, smoke, power outages, and extreme weather events.
This presentation will go into fire resilient design strategies in building design and how those efforts fit very closely with the physics-based passive house design. Coupled with fire resilient materials and landscape appropriate approach, Passive House is a primary fire adaptive strategy for any community at risk.
CEUs:
Upon completion of all modules a Certificate of Completion will be automatically issued for AIA & PHI credit.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe different means of vertical access for multifamily buildings.
- Outline how land use and building codes can affect building cost and energy efficiency.
- Describe how livability can be affected by building codes.
- Outline how point access blocks allow new approaches to recompacting cities and adapting to climate change.
About the Presenter
Andrew Michler has focused on high-performance building design and materiality since 1993. He is the author of the book Hyperlocalization of Architecture and the principal of the design group Hyperlocal Workshop. He’s co-founder of Passive House Rocky Mountains, a chapter of The Passive House Network, and has served as chair of Northern Colorado Renewable Energy Society. He completed the first International Certified Passive House in Colorado in 2016 which has won several awards and has been prominent in international design media. He has experienced multiple fire events including the 1991 Oakland Hills fire and in 2020 the Cameron Peak fire, the largest wildfire in Colorado to date. He is currently working on the rebuilding effort for the Marshall Fire in Boulder County.
