A landscape design contest underway at the University of California, Berkeley, is expected to produce innovative, affordable ideas for homeowners emphasizing wildfire defense while preserving attractiveness.

Created by CSAA Insurance Group and hosted by the university’s College of Environmental Design, the collaboration includes the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).

“Landscape design is essential to the visual draw and practical function of a home,” said Kristina Hill, PhD, director of the Institute for Urban and Regional Development at UC Berkeley. “Our students are eager to apply their advanced knowledge of design to help people see that beauty and safety can be compatible goals, as the dangers of wildfire increase in a changing climate.”

While a full landscape design is expected, student designers will place special emphasis on the 0-5′ home ignition zone, consistent with the Wildfire Prepared Home standard developed by IBHS highlighting mitigation actions that aid reducing wildfire risk.

“The home ignition zone offers an opportunity to establish an important first line of defense against wildfire,” said Alister Watt, chief product officer for IBHS. “With this contest and our Wildfire Prepared Home standard, our goal is to help homeowners understand that strengthening your home against wildfire does not require abandoning curb appeal and can be low maintenance.”

In addition to establishing a completely non-combustible ignition zone, which focuses on placing soils and hardscape rather than vegetation around a home’s perimeter, other landscape-specific factors include removing yard debris, trees and bushes.

The top designs will address varying budget levels (low, medium, high), and be selected by a jury of landscape design professionals. The winning designers will receive prizes totaling $40,000.

CSAA other wildfire preventative measures include forest resilience bonds, which fund the upfront costs of forest restoration, as well as the California Wildfire Innovation Fund, which invests in projects that will reduce forest overgrowth and convert it into useable products.

“As wildfires continue to threaten homes and communities, science-based research identifies the important design elements that play a critical role in protecting properties,” said Linda Goldstein, executive vice president of customer experience and marketing at CSAA Insurance Group. “As with our $25M commitment to the California Wildfire Innovation Fund and support of ongoing wildfire research, we are focused on finding new and creative solutions that can keep homeowners and their properties safe.”

The winners of the Wildfire Landscape Design contest will be announced in early 2024.