Wildfire-Resilient Home Designs Shine at UC Berkeley Competition

The winners of UC Berkeley’s Wildfire Prepared Home Design competition have been announced, showcasing exceptional landscape designs focused on wildfire resilience. Grace Diebel and Shayda Rashidi won the top $10,000 prize with a design that reimagines exterior spaces using noncombustible materials and innovative features like reflective pools to enhance both safety and curb appeal. The competition, administered by Dr. Kristina Hill and judged by experts in landscape design and wildfire science, underscores the critical need for wildfire preparedness.

Other winners include Madeira BooydeGraaff, Florencia Sepulveda, and Yanyao Cui, who took home $5,000 prizes for their designs. The submissions emphasized the importance of the home ignition zone, adhering to the Wildfire Prepared Homeâ„¢ standard developed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). This standard focuses on actions to reduce the risk of ember ignition around homes.

Designs addressed varying budget levels, from unlimited budgets to more modest $5,000 interventions, demonstrating that effective wildfire mitigation can be achieved at different financial levels. Key strategies included removing flammable materials, using hardscapes, and planting fire-resistant vegetation. The contest highlights the potential for combining aesthetic landscaping with practical wildfire defenses, inspiring property owners to adopt similar approaches.