Bush Fire Resistant Houses.
In November 2015, Baldwin O'Bryan Architects won the Bushfire Building Council of Australia's Innovation Award for the best design concept for this design at Newee Creek in NSW.
In November 2015, Baldwin O'Bryan Architects won the Bushfire Building Council of Australia's Innovation Award for the best design concept for this design at Newee Creek in NSW.
Earth sheltered buildings have an obvious advantage in bushfires because the surrounding soil can provide a massive buffer against direct contact with flames and insulate the interior against the extreme radiant temperatures experienced in bushfires.
Earth sheltered buildings generally have an entirely reinforced concrete structure, which is unlikely to be damaged by fire even without the massive enclosing earth walls.
Most people would know that 90% of house loss in severe bushfires is caused by ember attacks from distant fires rather than the fire front itself. Earth sheltered buildings do not have the same entry points for ember attack as most conventional houses. There are no eaves, gutters, valleys, ridges or gables, and embers cannot enter under gaps in roof tiles or sheet metal and perhaps most importantly, there are no roof cavities. Flame and embers can’t enter underneath the building, which was identified as a major cause of destruction in the recent Wye River Fires.
Earth sheltered buildings generally have an entirely reinforced concrete structure, which is unlikely to be damaged by fire even without the massive enclosing earth walls.
Most people would know that 90% of house loss in severe bushfires is caused by ember attacks from distant fires rather than the fire front itself. Earth sheltered buildings do not have the same entry points for ember attack as most conventional houses. There are no eaves, gutters, valleys, ridges or gables, and embers cannot enter under gaps in roof tiles or sheet metal and perhaps most importantly, there are no roof cavities. Flame and embers can’t enter underneath the building, which was identified as a major cause of destruction in the recent Wye River Fires.
Earth sheltered buildings are generally designed with openings concentrated in one or two zones, mainly to minimise the cost of retaining walls.
This makes it easier to cover all the potential ignition points with FZ fire-rated panels or roller shutters. Of course, if bushfire resistance is the main priority, the size of openings can be considerably reduced.
It is possible to design earth sheltered buildings that would survive even the worst bushfires undamaged, and we hope this technique can have a much larger role in improving the ability of buildings to better withstand bushfire attacks.
The system has exceptional bushfire resistance with just standard glazing, as shown in the graphic above. However, the second, more robust facade shown in the two graphics below is a relatively low-cost adjustment, and it can meet the requirements of the highest bushfire attack level in Australia, Flame Zone (FZ). The facade has magnesium oxide panels surrounding the glazing and a mechanised fire curtain or FZ roller shutter to cover the glazing in a bushfire event.
There are always competing interests between preserving natural bushland and the need for new buildings, which unfortunately often requires destroying a lot of bushland for fire safety reasons. It is in everybody’s interest to minimise the depletion of our beautiful native flora and fauna. We hope that the technique of Earth Sheltering could eventually contribute to moving the needle on this environmental dilemma, particularly for sensitive bushfire-prone regions such as the Blue Mountains and the edges of larger urban areas.
This makes it easier to cover all the potential ignition points with FZ fire-rated panels or roller shutters. Of course, if bushfire resistance is the main priority, the size of openings can be considerably reduced.
It is possible to design earth sheltered buildings that would survive even the worst bushfires undamaged, and we hope this technique can have a much larger role in improving the ability of buildings to better withstand bushfire attacks.
The system has exceptional bushfire resistance with just standard glazing, as shown in the graphic above. However, the second, more robust facade shown in the two graphics below is a relatively low-cost adjustment, and it can meet the requirements of the highest bushfire attack level in Australia, Flame Zone (FZ). The facade has magnesium oxide panels surrounding the glazing and a mechanised fire curtain or FZ roller shutter to cover the glazing in a bushfire event.
There are always competing interests between preserving natural bushland and the need for new buildings, which unfortunately often requires destroying a lot of bushland for fire safety reasons. It is in everybody’s interest to minimise the depletion of our beautiful native flora and fauna. We hope that the technique of Earth Sheltering could eventually contribute to moving the needle on this environmental dilemma, particularly for sensitive bushfire-prone regions such as the Blue Mountains and the edges of larger urban areas.
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