Bush Fire Architecture Archives - Cox Architects

Bushfires – Assets and liabilities

Cox Architects — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 06:24:57 +0000

The recent bushfires extended from September last year until the end of March. We were therefore under attack for half a year. It exposed many weaknesses in our built environment and the stewardship of our natural resources. We were found exposed because of directionless development and the vulnerability of our built assets to both wildfires and bushfires.

Our continued practice of delivering buildings and infrastructure which are not suited to and resistant to our harsh environmental conditions is or could be deemed to be ‘not fit for purpose’.

For many years, our politicians and other leaders have focussed on seeing the physical effects of building ‘something’. Progress was evidenced by city skylines covered with cranes and half-built skyscrapers. On the urban fringe, progress was evidenced by covering vast tracts of land with the archetypal Australian built houses extending suburbia as far as the eye could see. But what if neither of these building forms are ‘fit for purpose’ or suitable for our harsh environment?

View the full article here (PDF).
Source: https://sourceable.net/bushfires-assets-and-liabilities/

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Bushfires – What’s in a name?

Cox Architects — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 07:22:40 +0000

One reason for Australia’s procrastination on the adoption of new technology to help prepare us for the effects of our harsh environment is because most believe nothing can be done to protect us from bush fires. The reality, however, is that this is simply not correct and doing nothing is a symptom Australia can ill afford at these times or in the future.

View the article here.
Source: https://sourceable.net/bushfires-whats-in-a-name/

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Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission

Cox Architects — Sat, 02 Sep 2017 05:15:42 +0000

Submission by Cox Architects to the “2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission”.

The following are parts of the above submission:

ABC Interview (mp3 format) of Cox Architects Director David Cox on the 5/3/2009.

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Bush Fire Architecture

Cox Architects — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 08:11:37 +0000

For many years, the majority of Australians have been comforted by the thought that the prevalence of bush fires doesn’t concern those living in urban areas. Whilst there might be empathy for our ‘country cousins’, many don’t consider these fires to be a direct threat.

So is this assumption correct or just a misguided myth? A look at recent events and data sheds light on the issue.

Cox looks at a range of recent academic papers on the subject in trying to piece together an overview of the risks of these fire events to urban areas. The results are quite surprising.

Cox also includes his experiences from visiting the lethal bush fires first hand in Western Australia in Feb. 2016 and how these events support the premises put forward in the article.

This research, together with the extensive research already undertaken by the firm Cox Architects, gives a valuable and condensed insight into what is becoming a ‘sleeper’ of a problem for Australia and the USA in particular.

View the article here.
Source: https://sourceable.net/do-bush-fires-only-occur-in-the-bush/

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Fire shutters Australian Bush Fire standard compliant

Cox Architects — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 06:32:56 +0000

Cox Architects announces that their fire shutters have met the rigorous compliance testing requirements of Australian Bush Fire standards, making them suitable for use throughout Australia. These fire shutters are part of a series of innovations that evolved from Cox Architects’ award-winning research project into Bush Fire Resistance Construction started over 10 years ago. David Cox, a leading expert on bush fire resistant construction, is the CEO of Cox Architects, and the creator of these fire shutters.

Featuring several patented technology innovations, these fire shutters provide a complete building envelope that can withstand the most severe bush fires in Australia. Though the initial requirement was to provide fire protection to the openings of a building when exposed to bush fire attack, the design and development phase identified several additional opportunities.

These included high resistance to impact or cyclones; high thermal insulation against cold and hot temperatures; high security protection to a building by protecting the openings; providing highly insulated sun hoods to windows and openings; providing privacy screens using the upper and lower panels; and providing an alternative to curtains and other window furnishings.

Excerpt from architectureanddesign.com.au published 16 January 2017 View the article here.

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