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Collection by Zach Edelson

Rugged Fire-Resistant Homes

Along with water, fire is architecture's oldest foe. While infernos no longer wipe out entire cities, brush fires still pose a devastating threat to remote cabins in dry climates. Building with fire-resistant materials can safeguard your home and bring down home insurance rates.

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The house is divided in two: on the left, the main house consists of an expansive kitchen, living, and dining space, plus sleeping accommodations. On the right, a smaller structure holds a sauna, shower, and ski wax room. The house’s length is oriented along an east/west axis to maximize strong southern light and provide views of an aspen grove.
The house is divided in two: on the left, the main house consists of an expansive kitchen, living, and dining space, plus sleeping accommodations. On the right, a smaller structure holds a sauna, shower, and ski wax room. The house’s length is oriented along an east/west axis to maximize strong southern light and provide views of an aspen grove.
The fire-resistant structure is clad in corrugated Cor-Ten steel that has been left to rust for easy maintenance. Instead of fussy landscaping, the family spread seed for native grasses and wildflowers that they let fill in naturally.
The fire-resistant structure is clad in corrugated Cor-Ten steel that has been left to rust for easy maintenance. Instead of fussy landscaping, the family spread seed for native grasses and wildflowers that they let fill in naturally.
The house's location on a fire-prone site on the edge of a wooded area posed a challenge for Blue. He used a mix of steel and fire-resistant timber to construct the residence. Another challenge was to "crop out" the neighboring houses so Blue oriented the structure so that it opens to its own garden and views of the forest.
The house's location on a fire-prone site on the edge of a wooded area posed a challenge for Blue. He used a mix of steel and fire-resistant timber to construct the residence. Another challenge was to "crop out" the neighboring houses so Blue oriented the structure so that it opens to its own garden and views of the forest.
Every year for 14 years, Barry Doyle and Eve Becker-Doyle made the long trek north from their home in Dallas to stay at a friend’s vacation home on Log Hill Mesa, about 1,000 feet above the small town of Ridgway on Colorado’s Western Slope. They felt at home among the mountains and the indigenous wildlife, so when they began thinking about building a house where they would spend their retirement years together, it didn’t make sense to do it anywhere else.
Every year for 14 years, Barry Doyle and Eve Becker-Doyle made the long trek north from their home in Dallas to stay at a friend’s vacation home on Log Hill Mesa, about 1,000 feet above the small town of Ridgway on Colorado’s Western Slope. They felt at home among the mountains and the indigenous wildlife, so when they began thinking about building a house where they would spend their retirement years together, it didn’t make sense to do it anywhere else.