AIAO Fire Resilience Series
Wildfire has long been endemic to our wild lands, especially in western states. Climate change, development patterns and other factors are increasing the threats from wildfire and wildfire smoke to our health, safety, and lives, and to our buildings and communities. This series will provide architects and other building professionals with a comprehensive overview of wildfire risks to our built environment and the design solutions to make our communities, neighborhoods, and buildings more fire resilient.
Cost:
AIA Members/Allied Members/NOMA: $15 per session or all 5 for $60
Non-Members: $40 per session or all 5 for $160
Session 4: Fire Resistive Design for Commercial and Multi-family Structures
1 AIA LU|HSW
While defensible space and WUI guidelines are well established for homes, recent wildfires in Oregon, California, and beyond have revealed critical vulnerabilities in commercial and multi-family buildings. This session will explore fire-resistive construction approaches tailored to larger structures, addressing common design configurations, vented rainscreen vulnerabilities, and code-driven solutions. Both new construction and retrofit strategies will be considered. The session will also highlight the often-overlooked risk of flooding after fire, where vegetation loss and terrain changes significantly increase runoff and debris flow. Participants will gain insight into how design, codes, and planning can work together to reduce both primary and secondary hazards and improve long-term community resilience.
Learning objectives:
Participants will be able to identify vulnerabilities of commercial and multi-family buildings in wildfire scenarios, with reference to recent case studies.
Participants will be able to examine fire-resistive construction materials and assemblies appropriate for both new construction and retrofit applications.
Participants will be able to understand the role of building codes and standards in enhancing wildfire resilience for non-residential structures.
Participants will be able to evaluate design strategies and detailing considerations for common risks, including vented rainscreens, large footprints, and shared exterior systems, as well as post-fire flooding hazards.
Jacob Kwiatkowski
Emergency Management Specialist with FEMA
Jacob Kwiatkowski is a seasoned emergency management and public safety professional with over 20 years of experience in firefighting, EMS, and hazard mitigation. As an Emergency Management Specialist with FEMA, he leads efforts in risk analysis, wildfire mitigation planning, and resilient building code strategies. His background includes fire-resistive construction consulting, stakeholder collaboration across federal and local agencies, and implementing hazard-resistant codes to strengthen community resilience. Jacob has served as an Assistant Fire Chief and Fire Marshal, and has deep operational knowledge in wildland fire response, ICS leadership, and building retrofit policy development. He brings a unique blend of boots-on-the-ground firefighting experience and technical code expertise to advancing wildfire resilience in the built environment.
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