Lessons in Wildfire Resilience

BEC: Austin + AIA Austin Resiliency Advocacy Present+ AIA Austin COTE Present:

Lessons in Wildfire Resilience (Day 2 of a two-part series)

with Dr. Dev Niyogi (University of Texas); Mackenzie Roach, Fire Protection Engineer at Arup; and Anthony Dente, CEO of Verdant Structural Engineers

This interdisciplinary roundtable will feature three experts sharing perspectives on wildfire resilience. Dr. Dev Niyogi (University of Texas) will present work from the UTCity Climate Colab, highlighting how qualitative community input and quantitative meteorological data are used to support Austin Fire in assessing wildfire risk and planning mitigation strategies. Mackenzie Roach, Fire Protection Engineer at Arup, will discuss the California Wildfire Rebuilding Guide, developed with the U.S. Green Building Council, and outline key design decisions for rebuilding fire-affected neighborhoods with resilience and safety. Anthony Dente, CEO of Verdant Structural Engineers, will share findings from ASTM E119 fire testing on earthen and biobased materials, exploring how fire performance, carbon impact, and health considerations intersect in material choices. Together, these speakers will provide practical insights and research-driven strategies for building safer, more sustainable communities in wildfire-prone regions.

Learning Objective 1:
Analyze integrated strategies that combine community input and meteorological data to enhance public safety and inform wildfire risk mitigation in the built environment. (HSW: Health, Life Safety)

Learning Objective 2:
Evaluate design and construction practices that improve wildfire resilience, reduce environmental impact, and support the long-term sustainability of affected communities. (HSW: Environmental and Site Considerations)

Learning Objective 3:
Compare fire-resistant building materials and systems—including biobased and earthen options—based on their performance in fire events, carbon footprint, and occupant health impact. (HSW: Building Materials and Systems)

Learning Objective 4:
Apply best practices in site planning, building envelope design, and systems integration to create safe, durable, and sustainable structures in wildfire-prone areas. (HSW: Technical Design and Construction)

1.5 LU/HSW

Presenters:

Dr. Dev Niyogi

Professor and William Stamps Farish Chair, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, and Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering,

Affiliate Faculty: Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, and UT Center for Space Research, The University of Texas at Austin

Dev Niyogi’s research seeks to significantly contribute to our understanding of the Earth system, particularly the urban and agricultural landscapes, and the dynamic role of coupled land surface processes on weather and regional meteorological extremes. An important ongoing and emerging focus of his research is to translate the scientific work undertaken into decision tools and portals with a particular focus on hydroclimatology and sustainable climate-ready/resilient cities using stakeholder partnerships,  AI/ML approaches and development of Digital Twins.

Mackenzie Roach, PE

Senior Fire Protection Engineer, ARUP

Mackenzie Roach, PE is a Senior Fire Protection Engineer in Arup’s Los Angeles office with more than 13 years of experience. Mackenzie has been involved in several projects assessing wildfire risk to properties or impact to specified assets. Mackenzie has worked with State Agencies to assess their organizational structure and operations in wildfire mitigation resulting in developing recommendations in partnership with members of the State Agencies. In partnership between USGBC California and Arup, Mackenzie is a co-author in the April 2025 publication of California Wildfire Rebuilding Guide. Additional project work in the built environment has included smoke control modeling and analysis, fire and life safety reports and drawings, fire protection system design and interdisciplinary coordination in environments with large, complex atrium spaces, high-rise buildings, mass timber buildings, airport and transportation facilities, multi-family residential, hotels, casinos, healthcare, museums, and cultural spaces.

Anthony Dente, PE, LEED AP

CEO at Verdant Engineers

Anthony Dente, PE, LEED AP, is a licensed engineer across the US, CEO at both Verdant Structural Engineers (VSE) and Verdant Building Products (VBP) and is the vice president of the Cob Research Institute (CRI). With VBP, he is leading the deployment of their carbon-storing, straw insulated, wall panels, developed under the EPA SBIR grant program. VSE assists with permit acquisition as well as product, research, and code development for low carbon structural solutions. He was the lead engineer for the Cob (Monolithic Adobe) Construction Appendix in the International Residential Code, as well as the Hemp-Lime (Hempcrete) Appendix, both the first of their kind in the US. Anthony is the chair of the structural sub-committee of the TMS Earthen Modular Masonry Standard Committee developing the much-needed contemporary adobe and CEB building code. Anthony recently authored Essential Cob Construction, A Guide to Design, Engineering, and Building with New Society Publishers.