Fire-Resistant Modular ADU is a response to the wildfire-resilient designs that have recently surged in Los Angeles. The California wildfires of 2025 left a devastating impact on the state, and as a result, this design has been created with the damaged structures in mind. These wildfires have been reported to have severely damages over 12,000 structures, which included homes, as well as commercial properties. This thesis explores how modular ADUs can be protected and transformed using a custom brick facade system that is adaptable and fire-resistant.
Brick is often avoided in LA due to its cost, and the fact that it is not an ideal building material for earthquakes. Despite this, it can be reused as a lightweight, modular wrapper. The proposed idea suggests that it is possible to put a system in place using square bricks, and that these bricks will connect around housing units like an armor. Each room will be scaled to match the dimension of a brick unit, making it consistent in the space. These bricks will be designed in such a way that they interlock, and small holes in each unit will allow for rebar to be inserted, which will reinforce and strengthen the structure, which will add even more safety to the building.
Using only three modular types, I was able to develop a flexible ADU system that can expand over time. We can combine the base modules in many different 2D and 3D configurations that will be best for different site conditions and maybe even cater to different family needs. As homeowners grow their recources, they will be able to add more spaces, and they won’t have to rebuild the entire structure.
This approach will bring together fire-resilient materials with a phased housing strategy. It will have interlocking, and reinforced brick components that will be able to have doors, windows, which will allow for us to have structural variation. So, the system will be designed to grow, protect, and allow us to create structures that are able to adapt to LA’s housing and climate future.