
• 在加州野火摧毁超过1.5万栋建筑后,建筑公司KB Home正在开发防火型社区,帮助业主抵御未来灾害。这些住宅采用耐火屋顶和缓冲区等设计,可阻止火势蔓延。在圣迭戈郊外新建的迪克森步道社区,每套住宅的起售价为100万美元。
洛杉矶特大野火摧毁逾1.5万栋建筑(其中许多是保险不足或无保险房屋)后,KB Home公司正在开发一个"防火型"社区,旨在帮助业主规避下一场灾难。
位于加州埃斯孔迪多市(圣迭戈郊区)的迪克森步道社区将建设64栋住宅,所有建筑均符合美国商业与住宅安全保险协会(Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety,IBHS)制定的严格建筑与社区级防火标准。
该社区住宅的起售价为100万美元,最高可达数百万美元。根据Redfin的数据,埃斯孔迪多市新房的中位价为74.3万美元。
公司新闻稿显示,提升住宅防火性能的细节设计包括:A级耐火屋顶、不可燃排水沟和外墙覆层、双层钢化玻璃或防火玻璃砖窗户、防火焰和余烬的通风口等。开发商与埃斯孔迪多市政府合作调整建筑规范,以适应防火改造需求。
为防止火势扩散,几乎所有建筑间距保持10英尺(约3米)。每栋房屋外围设有5英尺(约1.5米)不可燃缓冲区,禁止业主在此区域种植任何植物。
KB Home公司全国合同与工作室供应链高级副总裁史蒂夫·鲁夫纳表示,鉴于加州及埃斯孔迪多地区面临的野火威胁,公司预计迪克森步道这种开创性住宅将受市场热捧。
他对《财富》杂志表示:“我们希望客户既能省钱又能安心。我认为这两个目标可以兼得。成为行业先行者令人振奋。”

今年1月洛杉矶周边阿尔塔迪纳、太平洋帕利塞兹和马利布社区的特大野火,暴露出加州许多住宅面临的野火风险。据AccuWeather估算,火灾造成约2,500亿美元经济损失,成为美国史上损失最惨重的自然灾害之一。
虽然野火已平息,但灾害风险犹存。加州林业与消防局(California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection,CAL FIRE)的最新火灾风险地图显示,南加州(含圣迭戈地区)“极高火灾危险区”的面积自2011年以来扩大了26%,达到817,212英亩。

KB Home可持续发展副总裁雅各布·阿塔拉指出,在多家保险公司缩减或退出加州业务之际,迪克森步道社区的住宅除了额外的防火性能外,还可能带来保险优惠和环保效益。
阿塔拉对《财富》杂志表示:“降低住宅的火灾风险可能转化为更低的房屋保费,延续我们多年来坚持的可负担住房使命。”
鲁夫纳表示,防火型住宅项目积累的经验将分享给加州建筑行业协会(California Building Industry Association,BIA)和美国商业与住宅安全保险协会,以助力全州建筑商提升建筑的消防安全水平。
鲁夫纳称,目前已有三分之一的房屋已经售出,两户业主已经入住。他还表示,社区另有30栋在建住宅,全部64栋住宅将在年内竣工。(财富中文网)
译者:刘进龙
审校:汪皓
• 在加州野火摧毁超过1.5万栋建筑后,建筑公司KB Home正在开发防火型社区,帮助业主抵御未来灾害。这些住宅采用耐火屋顶和缓冲区等设计,可阻止火势蔓延。在圣迭戈郊外新建的迪克森步道社区,每套住宅的起售价为100万美元。
洛杉矶特大野火摧毁逾1.5万栋建筑(其中许多是保险不足或无保险房屋)后,KB Home公司正在开发一个"防火型"社区,旨在帮助业主规避下一场灾难。
位于加州埃斯孔迪多市(圣迭戈郊区)的迪克森步道社区将建设64栋住宅,所有建筑均符合美国商业与住宅安全保险协会(Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety,IBHS)制定的严格建筑与社区级防火标准。
该社区住宅的起售价为100万美元,最高可达数百万美元。根据Redfin的数据,埃斯孔迪多市新房的中位价为74.3万美元。
公司新闻稿显示,提升住宅防火性能的细节设计包括:A级耐火屋顶、不可燃排水沟和外墙覆层、双层钢化玻璃或防火玻璃砖窗户、防火焰和余烬的通风口等。开发商与埃斯孔迪多市政府合作调整建筑规范,以适应防火改造需求。
为防止火势扩散,几乎所有建筑间距保持10英尺(约3米)。每栋房屋外围设有5英尺(约1.5米)不可燃缓冲区,禁止业主在此区域种植任何植物。
KB Home公司全国合同与工作室供应链高级副总裁史蒂夫·鲁夫纳表示,鉴于加州及埃斯孔迪多地区面临的野火威胁,公司预计迪克森步道这种开创性住宅将受市场热捧。
他对《财富》杂志表示:“我们希望客户既能省钱又能安心。我认为这两个目标可以兼得。成为行业先行者令人振奋。”
今年1月洛杉矶周边阿尔塔迪纳、太平洋帕利塞兹和马利布社区的特大野火,暴露出加州许多住宅面临的野火风险。据AccuWeather估算,火灾造成约2,500亿美元经济损失,成为美国史上损失最惨重的自然灾害之一。
虽然野火已平息,但灾害风险犹存。加州林业与消防局(California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection,CAL FIRE)的最新火灾风险地图显示,南加州(含圣迭戈地区)“极高火灾危险区”的面积自2011年以来扩大了26%,达到817,212英亩。
KB Home可持续发展副总裁雅各布·阿塔拉指出,在多家保险公司缩减或退出加州业务之际,迪克森步道社区的住宅除了额外的防火性能外,还可能带来保险优惠和环保效益。
阿塔拉对《财富》杂志表示:“降低住宅的火灾风险可能转化为更低的房屋保费,延续我们多年来坚持的可负担住房使命。”
鲁夫纳表示,防火型住宅项目积累的经验将分享给加州建筑行业协会(California Building Industry Association,BIA)和美国商业与住宅安全保险协会,以助力全州建筑商提升建筑的消防安全水平。
鲁夫纳称,目前已有三分之一的房屋已经售出,两户业主已经入住。他还表示,社区另有30栋在建住宅,全部64栋住宅将在年内竣工。(财富中文网)
译者:刘进龙
审校:汪皓
• After wildfires destroyed more than 15,000 structures in California, builder KB Home is developing a community of fire-resilient homes to help homeowners weather any future disasters. The homes include details such as fire-rated roofs and buffer zones to prevent the spread of wildfire. Homes in the new Dixon Trail community outside of San Diego start at $1 million.
In the aftermath of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, which destroyed more than 15,000 structures including many under-insured and uninsured homes, KB Home is developing a “fire-resilient” community to help homeowners avoid the next disaster.
The new Dixon Trail community in Escondido, Calif., just outside of San Diego, will include 64 homes that meet the stringent home and neighborhood-level wildfire resilience standards developed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).
The homes start at $1 million and can range into the low millions of dollars. The median price of a new home in Escondido is $743,000, according to Redfin.
The details that make the homes more resilient to wildfires include class A fire-rated roofs, noncombustible gutters and siding, windows with two panes of tempered-glass or fire-resistant glass blocks, and vents that are resistant to flame and embers, according to a company press release. The builder worked with the city of Escondido to adapt building codes in order to accommodate the fire-resilient changes.
To prevent the spread of fire, almost all structures are built 10 feet apart from each other, and each home includes a 5-foot noncombustible buffer around its perimeter where homeowners can’t plant anything.
Given the threat of wildfire in California and in the Escondido area, the company expects solid demand for the pioneering Dixon Trail homes, said Steve Ruffner, KB Home senior vice president of national contracts and studio supply chain.
“We want [our customers] to be able to save money and feel safe. And I think both of these can be accomplished. And so it’s exciting for us to be the first to do it,” he told Fortune.
The destructive January wildfires in the Altadena, Pacific Palisades, and Malibu neighborhoods surrounding Los Angeles highlighted the wildfire risk many California homes face. Economic losses from the fires are estimated at around $250 billion, according to AccuWeather, making the wildfires one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.
While the wildfires have subsided, the risk of disaster remains as the most recent fire risk map from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) shows that across Southern California, which includes the San Diego area, areas with a “very high fire hazard” have grown 26% to 817,212 acres since 2011.
In addition to the extra protection against wildfires, Dixon Trail homes may come with insurance and sustainability benefits, said Jacob Atalla, vice president of sustainability at KB Home, just as several insurers are reducing or eliminating their business in California.
“Potentially lowering the risk profile of these homes may result in lower home insurance premiums, and therefore continue with the affordability mission that we’ve been on for many years,” Atalla told Fortune.
Any learnings gathered from the development of the fire-resilient homes will also be shared with the California Building Industry Association (BIA) and IBHS to help builders improve fire safety for structures across the state, Ruffner said.
Already, one-third of the homes have sold, and two buyers have already moved in, Ruffner said. Another 30 homes are under construction, and all 64 homes should be completed in a year, he added.