The Impact of Wildfires on Building Codes: Reflections on the Recent Los Angeles FiresSave this picture!A Chase Bank branch on Sunset Boulevard burning on January 8. Image CAL FIRE_Official via Wikipedia under Public Domain LicenseIt has been nearly three weeks since one of California's most devastating wildfires began, triggering an immense effort to combat the blaze and mitigate further damage. As firefighters work to contain the remaining flames, the city braces for its first significant winter rainfall, raising concerns about flooding and landslides that may exacerbate the already extensive destruction. Amid these challenges, the wildfire has spurred widespread reflection at local and global levels. Discussions have emerged on topics such as the insurance system, firefighting infrastructure, water resources, global warming's role in high-wind fire conditions, and the impact of landscape design, particularly the use of non-native vegetation. Additionally, debates have surfaced about building design, questioning why some structures survived while others were destroyed and whether the widespread use of wood in construction should be reconsidered. Readers' letter submissions highlight alternative systems and note their drawbacks, such as their lack of earthquake resistance and costs. Related Article Los Angeles Officials Pass Regulation to Expedite the Rebuilding Process Historic Fires and Their Influence on Fire Safety RegulationsWildfires and fire tragedies are not new in the United States, with significant incidents recurring throughout history. These events have shaped urban planning and safety measures, leading to tighter regulations on firefighting infrastructure, fire-resistant building codes, and effective evacuation strategies. For context, the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire caused $9.7 billion in damages (adjusted to 2018 dollars) and over 3,000 casualties. Notably, eight of the ten largest wildfires in U.S. history have occurred since 2000, each resulting in damages exceeding $900 million (adjusted to 2018 dollars).Save this picture!Fire safety codes and standards have evolved in response to such past tragedies. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) attributes key developments to landmark incidents such as the 1908 Rhoades Opera House fire and the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, both of which claimed over 140 lives. These events prompted stricter regulations to ensure fire-safe building design, a process that has continued to evolve with each significant disaster and the lessons learned.Understanding Fire Safety Codes: Prioritizing Lives Over StructuresAs discussions on building codes, materials, and fire resistance continue, it is also essential to remind ourselves that fire and life safety codes are primarily designed to protect lives before preserving structures. These regulations are enforced to facilitate the safe evacuation of occupants, ensure a building can withstand disasters for a limited time, and prevent scenarios where the structure itself endangers individuals by collapsing or trapping them within.The primary objective of these codes is not to prevent a building's destruction during catastrophic fires but to buy critical time for occupants to escape and for emergency responders to intervene. Buildings are generally designed to maintain structural integrity for a specified durationtypically 1 to 3 hoursbefore materials inevitably weaken, burn, or fail. The required fire-resistance rating often depends on factors such as building occupancy, with larger or more populated structures necessitating longer durations of fire resistance.Save this picture!Fire-resistant materials and designs slow flame spread and maintain structural stability during this critical window, supporting evacuation and suppression efforts. While debates about optimal building materialstimber, concrete, or steelcontinue, it is crucial to recognize that building codes prioritize life safety above structural preservation.Possibilities for Evolving Building Codes to Enhance Flexibility and SafetyDiscussions about building materials are vital, encompassing broader considerations like sustainability, cost, recyclability, and maintenance. However, fire safety efforts cannot rely solely on material properties. Active fire suppression systems like sprinklers are critical for controlling fires and minimizing damage. For instance, the Hartford Hospital fire of 1961 led to the expansion of sprinkler requirements across various building types, underscoring their effectiveness.Unlike passive measures like fire-resistant materials and clear egress pathways, which aid evacuation, active systems actively combat fires, enhancing safety and reducing destruction. When combined with passive strategies, these systems significantly improve the chances of occupant survival and structural preservation. Yet, they are often not mandated for single-family residential buildings due to their lower occupancy levels and cost concerns. Adding suppression systems can substantially increase construction costs as well as infrastructural costs. This fire-resistivity discussion then triggers a much more significant consideration, affecting housing affordability issues.Save this picture!To address housing affordability concerns while enhancing fire safety, the industry might consider continuing to evolve a more flexible and adaptive approach to building codes. Instead of a one-size-fits-all strategy, localized codes could be implemented in high-risk areas, if not already done so, focusing on regions where the fire threat is most significant. This targeted approach acknowledges that not all single-family homes face the same level of risk, allowing for tailored solutions that prioritize safety where it is most needed. This level of discernment and fire safety requirement may also help begin negotiating on the complex insurance coverage subject.For affordable housing in high-risk zones, there may be ways to include incentives to encourage the adoption of advanced fire suppression systems. This strategy reduces reliance on restrictive building material requirements, which may be perceived as limiting, and shifts the focus to a combination of material properties and active fire suppression. Promoting creative and flexible solutions may enhance home safety, improve fire resistance, and support long-term resilience without disproportionately impacting housing costs and being restrictive in regulations.Emerging Fire Suppression Technologies and Possible StrategiesA significant challenge in fire safety lies in the gap between evolving codes and existing buildings. In parallel with continuing to rethink and improve the code governing building structures, it is equally important to address aging structures that remain occupied by a much more dated set of requirements. Structures built decades ago may comply with outdated codes but fall short of current safety standards. Unless these buildings undergo renovations and improvements, they typically remain exempt from updates. This raises an important question: How can we positively encourage dated buildings to adopt new technologies and safety measures without enforcing and/or waiting for renovations?Save this picture!Incentivizing homeowners to upgrade fire safety systems could yield widespread benefits, protecting lives and property while supporting the construction industry and reducing financial strains on insurers and governments. Emerging fire suppression technologies, originally designed for industrial or high-risk zones, are now inspiring potential residential applications. Modern fire suppression systems go beyond traditional heat-activated sprinklers, offering advanced solutions that could enhance home safety. These solutions offer greater flexibility, significantly reducing the need for extensive plumbing installations throughout the house, as traditional sprinkler systems require. This makes them more suitable for renovations and retrofitting existing homes.For example, innovative water suppression systems, such as automatic thermal imaging water cannons, are gaining traction within the market. Strategically placed, these systems can target and suppress fires at their source without requiring extensive plumbing infrastructural network, as is necessary for sprinkler systems. While these water cannons may quickly extinguish localized flames, they provide less comprehensive coverage than traditional sprinklers, offering a trade-off between targeted efficiency and broader protection.Save this picture!Can we envision a future where high-risk areas adopt resilient architecture, utilizing fire-resistant materials and advanced firefighting technologies? His evolving discussion highlights the importance of a multifaceted approach to fire safety. By integrating advancements in materials, suppression technologies, and urban planning; communities can develop more resilient strategies to protect lives and properties amid the growing challenges posed by climate change and natural disasters.Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorJonathan YeungAuthorCite: Jonathan Yeung. "The Impact of Wildfires on Building Codes: Reflections on the Recent Los Angeles Fires" 27 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1026206/the-impact-of-wildfires-on-building-codes-reflections-on-the-recent-los-angeles-fires&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Nature, Published online: 27 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00218-9Nobel laureate Steven Weinbergs posthumously published memoir details a swashbuckling life in physics.

Nature, Published online: 27 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08644-5Retraction Note: A mechanism for the suppression of homologous recombination in G1 cells

Humans don't have hollow bones like birds do, so how big would our wings have to be to lift us off the ground?

After the conservative step forward that was Orcs Must Die 3, the cult-favorite franchise is back with Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap, a sequel that is both more inventive and more derivative than its predecessors. Deathtrap's greatest departure from series' convention is its roguelike gameplay, while the meat and potatoes of the experience is left more or less untouched. This can be a mixed bag. On the one hand, why fix what isn't broken? But at the same time, some of the game's broader structural elements can feel tacked-on and underbaked.

Players of Throne and Liberty will receive an array of free items as compensation for prolonged downtime caused by the Lunar Celebration updates, which began on January 22. The free-to-play MMORPG by Amazon Games and NCSoft was released to much fanfare in the latter half of last year. Throne and Liberty enjoyed a solid start, posting strong player numbers and garnering mostly positive reviews before the full release. However, the game has been hit by a string of technical issues since its global launch.

Weekly curated resources for designersthinkers andmakers.Today were building boring products because we struggle to go much deeper than Im alright. Going deeper is the difference between experiencing the Sagrada Familia and The Telephone Building. One, with organic, flowing forms and intricate details, evokes a sense of awe and wonder that connects us to something greater than ourselves. The other, with a stark, utilitarian design leaves us feeling uninspired and disconnected from our deeper humanity.It probably goes without saying, but just like skills without emotional depth result in machine-like experiences, so do deep emotions without skill result in products that feel disjointed. You needboth.Beautiful, boring, and without souldata.to.designConnect your CMS to Figma [Sponsored] Connect your CMS to Figma, or import Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable, CSV, JSON to automatically populate your Figma designs with real content. Plus, you can map content to specific components to always keep designs updated with the latestversion!Editor picksHow your designs contribute to waste Why arent we dealing with the problem of waste?By DarrenYeoThe UX of drafting in space How I escaped the pull of the page UI.By DanielBuschekThe human-centered AI manifesto We hold the power to shape AI responsibly.By JoshLaMarThe UX Collective is an independent design publication that elevates unheard design voices and helps designers think more critically about theirwork.Poetry Camera prints poems instead of picturesMake methinkWhy the none of the above checkbox pattern worries me I know the team who did this work. Theyre top class and the whole service was designed to a high standard. But this research-approved design pattern has me a little worried.Who is the internet for? Ive been designing interfaces for two decades now, and when I look at the modern web, I see a landscape increasingly shaped not by human needs but by machine logica vast network of APIs, algorithms, and automated systems talking to each other in languages we never hear. Yes, we wrote those languages, but lets be honest: we isnt most ofus.The web is a creative industry and is facing the same decline and shattered economics as film, TV, or publishing The web developer job market is in a sorry state. Software developers in general dont seem to be doing well. Too many work for free on free or open source projects they believe insome because they think itll pay off for their careers down the line, others because they just really believe in the project.Little gems thisweekWhy mascots (like Duo) are powerful pieces of UX By DaleyWilhelmWrist UX: the future of control might be in our muscles By Federico FrancioniWhy your keyboard layout is stuck in the 1800s By ElvisHsiaoTools and resourcesDesigning for the AI future Guidelines to design with AI in mind.By LeranAdmoniThe 4 pillars of content design A visual framework for practitioners.By AndrewTippThe art of storytelling and persuasion Gain buy-in, inspire action, and grow influence.By AbbyAkerSupport the newsletterIf you find our content helpful, heres how you can supportus:Check out this weeks sponsor to support their worktooForward this email to a friend and invite them to subscribeSponsor aneditionBoring designs, 4 pillars of content design, wrist UX, designing for AI was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The antagonistic billionaire is the pinnacle of terrible leadership. Become a better leader by doing the opposite of Elon Musk.Continue reading on UX Collective

Amid the new chipset, camera improvements, and refreshed design revealed for the S25 Ultra at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, we also saw a notable downgrade the loss of Bluetooth from the S Pen. New announcements suggest Samsung will offer one separately, at a cost.

Potential third party breach may be behind alleged TalkTalk customer information being found for sale online.