Engineering students Miracle Kabano and Samantha Krieg, under the supervision of Dr. Qian Chen, have developed the Wildfire-resilient and Sustainable Evaluation Framework for British Columbia (WiSE-BC), tells Tech Xplore. The framework is rooted in their earlier “EcoHaven” project—a modular, net-zero-energy home concept designed with wildfire-resistant materials and developed in collaboration between UBC Okanagan, Thompson Rivers University, and industry partners.
WiSE-BC uses the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to let designers and communities weigh trade-offs between resilience (wildfire safety), sustainability (emissions and energy use), and cost. By applying the tool to the EcoHaven prototype, built for a retreat near Ashcroft, BC, the team tested its real-world viability at both single-home and community scales.
One of the key achievements is support for early-stage decision-making: builders and designers can use WiSE-BC to evaluate materials, building geometry, energy systems, and wildfire-resistance features together rather than in isolation. This reduces design time and helps align budget, carbon goals, and safety objectives.
Wildfire resilience is no longer an add-on but must be baked into design from day zero. Frameworks such as WiSE-BC help bridge the gap between climate risk mitigation, low-carbon design, and constructability. They also suggest that student-driven research can translate into practical tools for communities facing increased fire exposure.
The next steps include broader validation of WiSE-BC across more building types and jurisdictions, and deeper integration into building codes and design-software workflows. The outcome: designers who not only aim for energy-efficient homes, but also homes that survive the heat, embers, and flames of a changing climate.