For the Fall 2025 semester, the shared studio theme centers on designing a new fire station to address the evolving challenges of wildfire protection in the Bay Area’s Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). This project responds to the unprecedented scale and frequency of wildfire threats facing California communities, reimagining fire stations not merely as neighborhood protectors but as advanced wildfire detection and rapid-response centers. Students engage with a critical component of 21st-century emergency infrastructure, contributing design thinking toward long-term community resilience in one of the nation’s most fire-vulnerable metropolitan regions.
Within this framework, Professor Schleicher’s studio section, Sentinel Station, expands the concept by envisioning a fire station that integrates traditional firefighting functions with advanced wildfire monitoring and suppression capabilities. The station is conceived as a drone operations hub, deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for early detection, real-time monitoring, and targeted suppression across Wildcat Canyon Regional Park and the surrounding East Bay hills. This approach addresses the urgent need to rethink fire protection in the era of climate change and mega-fires, combining rapid detection, community preparedness, and technological innovation. Situated within the East Bay’s complex topography and Mediterranean climate, the Sentinel Station embodies California’s pioneering spirit—merging established firefighting practices with emerging technologies to propose a new, adaptive model for wildfire defense.
