The BurnBox - Modular Camp Grounds for Wildland Firefighters

I still remember walking out of school at the end of the day as thick smoke hung in the air carried from the surrounding wildfires in the area. This was back in 2023 when Canada experienced record-breaking wildfires. The province of British Columbia experienced the highest seasonal hectares burned since 1950 and hundreds of wildland firefighters from across Canada and overseas rushed to their aid. This design aims to support wildland firefighters by providing an efficient modular temporary housing solution for their camps as they work in the field. In light of the Southern California Wildfires, I think it is extremely important to both support and bring awareness to the work of wildland firefighters.

You will need the following materials...

1. Computer/Laptop
2. Milanote (Brainstorming)
3. Sketchbook (Brainstorming)
4. Photopea (Site Plan)
5. Autodesk Fusion 360 (Modelling)
6. Open Street Map (Map of Site)

The site I chose is located in the city of Kamloops, BC which resides within the Kamloops Fire Center (KFC). This region experiences hot dry weather with summer temperatures ranging from 35 - 40 degrees Celsius creating the perfect conditions for wildfires. The KFC also has a dense urban wildland interface increasing the risk of damage to to homes, communities, and infrastructure. The site is located on the outskirts of Kamloops as areas where development has expanded into previously forested regions, are at higher risk.

Objectives -

1. The housing/camp will serve as a place for firefighters to rest between shifts.
2. The housing/camp will be portable and allow firefighters to take it on the go and move between sites as fire conditions change. This also means that the camp will be easy and efficient to set up.
3. The structure will be fire-resistant.
4. The site where this structure will be deployed should use firescaping strategies.

Using my sketchbook I drew a couple of ideas of how I wanted the modular home to look before I settled on my final design concept. I used the objectives outlined above to inform my final design. Wildland firefighter typically use fire engines and trailers to transport their equipment so I wanted to ensure that my design would be able to fit within a 6x10ft enclosed trailer. The design uses accordion-style supports to expand and contract allowing users to conserve space when it is being stored.

The site plan was created using Photopea which is a free photo editing software. I used the pen tool and the rectangle shape tool to draw over the map. I used brushes to add in the vegetation and hardscaping elements. All [lants are fire resistant.

Plant Palette

Trees

Ponderosa Pine

Western Larch

Shrubs

Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)

Saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia)

Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium)

Perennials

Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea)

Dotted Gayfeather (Liatris punctata)

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

Grasses

Blue Grama Grass (Bouteloua gracilis)

I first drew my idea out in sketch mode and then extruded the shapes into 3d forms. I used to multiply tool duplicate necessary shapes.

I used the rectangle tool to create the fabric walls that extend from the rectangular supports. I then added materials by clicking change appearance.

I entered the rendering portal to complete my render and export it.