Insect-Inspired Modular Wildfire Recovery (Concept & Creation)

This wildfire-response project is modular, eco-conscious & budget efficient, providing a transportable recovery centre in times of urgent need. It's designed for uprooted communities who may be affected emotionally, physically, & socially by wildfires globally. The architecture & layout are based on insect biology, & aims to provide a smoke-free, heat-deflecting safe place to heal, connect with others, & repair plans. The design features HEPA-filtered air, an "outdoor" space for decompression/socializing, privacy pods & life repair resources.

The modular structure can be pre-fabricated with environment-safe materials & ready for immediate delivery to affected communities (see step 10). First prototypes aim to service Kalimantan (Indonesia), & Sioux Lookout (Canada).

Wildfire loss is significantly heavier than just physical loss. People lose homes, loved ones, land, access to healthcare, photos, personal belongings, pets & familiar surroundings. Routines are disrupted, jobs or education are lost; with that, income & stability. With toxic smoke, fear, & heat stretching across massive regions, people also lose the freedom of being outdoors & connected to nature, something very important for emotional healing. This structure is designed to respond to all of these losses; physical, emotional, social, & environmental.

Alongside old-fashioned brainstorming, research, & paper drafting, this project was made significantly easier and more elaborate thanks to Autodesk tools, specifically Forma (+ Revit & Fusion).

Pictured: reflection garden, main "outdoor" room, social pods, gradual-entry tunnel, potential exterior layout

1. Internet access for Autodesk & research
2. Forma
3. Tinkercad
4. Fusion
5. Revit
6. Grid paper
7. Pencil
8. Calculator
9. Motivation to make a change!

Note: Autodesk's generous student plan was much appreciated during this project!

Given the prompt “what if the built environment could be part of the healing?”, this project took off in a direction that affects millions each year; wildfires. I wanted this project to focus on a transportable solution to be used exactly when & where it’s needed. In moments of need, it can show up wherever needed to provide support at no cost to citizens. I’ve balanced the most crucial features while keeping it cost efficient, ecological, & rapid to set up. Breathable air, insect-inspired designs, space to let go & connect. Its a space to repair; emotionally, socially, physically.

Research (see step 12) was focused mainly on four crucial aspects:

1. Modular emergency architecture: to have a stock of ready-made structures that can be moved efficiently, quickly built & then reused in different crisis locations whenever needed.
2. Trauma-informed design: the structure is laid out for a sense of safety, privacy, control, & dignity for those suffering from extreme stress, loss, grief, & shock.
3. Clean air space: powerful filtration combined with strong sealing & pressure control to reduce exposure to wildfire smoke as much as possible while still allowing the feel of outdoors.
4. Biophilic incorporation: using biomimicry to design in ways that have already been proven by nature to work effectively, as well as incorporating biophilic aspects such as natural construction materials, low-water plants, etc.

Early into brainstorming, I explored the idea of clinics, wellness centres, or cast-in-place community centers, but none filled the need for something transportable & multi-functional. Eventually I settled on something that could work to fill not only people’s physical needs, but also their emotional & social health, all in one convenient place. In times of crisis, there may not be plenty of space and resources, so a one-does-it-all approach seemed appropriate. In the end, the final concept includes privacy pods connected to a filtered courtyard refuge, surrounded by a honeycomb of social spaces able to adapt to any country & climate, while offering support for a range of struggles.

Pictured: early drafts with features I hoped to include in the final designs

Each year, millions are affected by devastating wildfires across the glove. I've composed a list of high-risk locations with a lack of resources in place. These could greatly benefit from this project (or similar). To start, I've chosen 2 focus communities:

Local Focus: Sioux Lookout, Ontario

While only a small town, Sioux Lookout acts as a logistics centre, health gateway & evacuation point for 33 remote Indigenous communities. Many of these areas are only accessible by air, making it difficult to provide services directly. Remote communities use Sioux Lookout as a bridge to southern services, making the town absorb their pressure during wildfire emergencies. Evacuees, disrupted flights, delayed medical travel, & families who need shelter & info suddenly all arrive needing services.

Due to the smoke exposure, isolation, interrupted supplies, & prolonged displacement, a centre is much needed in a nearby town, making Sioux Lookout a great option.

International Focus: Kalimantan interior, Indonesia

Recurring smoke & fire risk frequently occur in the interior of Kalimantan due to it's makeup of remote forest & peatland communities. The area has land-use pressure, vulnerability to haze, and is far from major services; making it difficult to reach or leave during emergencies. Forests and peat quickly spread fire and produce a heavy smoke that affects a significantly larger area than the flames alone.

As a result, the entirety of surrounding communities are affected; rural households, Indigenous communities, children, seniors & workers dependant on the local land & mobility. They're affected by reduced air quality & health impacts from smoke, disrupted work & school, and long periods of fearful uncertainty. Short emergencies typically turn into prolonged crises due to the lack of support systems in place.

(More about locations in Part 12)

Pictured: Birds eye view of Sioux Lookout & the area mapped out in Forma, land form of Kalimantan interior

To reduce any feeling of a clinical, harsh environment, the structure uses biophilic features to create a space that's relaxing, alive, & climate-conscious. People connect through a laid-back, freestyle layout that uses natural, insect-based designs already proven to work in nature.

Eco-Conscious Efforts:

1. soil & roots systems are protected by a slightly raised design
2. native drought-tolerant plants provide oxygen, greenery, & support the local ecosystem
3. use natural, eco-friendly materials where possible (but remain lightweight & affordable)
4. post-use plan in place to use mycorrhizal soil restoration & mulching to restore damaged ground
5. all glazing/exterior MUST be bird & animal safe, non-toxic, & repairable
6. use natural, eco-friendly materials wherever possible (but remain lightweight & affordable)
7. filtered courtyard is smoke-protected while benefiting mental wellbeing from being "outdoors"

Biophilic Features:

1. natural daylight enters & diffuses through a dragonfly-wing ceiling
2. honeycomb partitions for maximum structural strength & minimal material use
3. folding privacy panels based on beetle wing mechanics (gives options, simple mechanism)
4. collapsible furniture inspired by armadillidiidae (pill bug) shells for rapid, compact transport
5. heat-deflecting exterior surface mimics a fly eye to scatter light, reducing harsh heat gain
6. pods & alcoves in the blueprint are inspired by the organized, community-based logic of ant nests

Pictured: Honeycomb inspired wall, folding mechanisms based on wing folds for transportation, eco-friendly material design

Possibly the most important aspect of the project, I've incorporated multiple aspects to support people emotionally at the centres. To ensure people feel safe calm, the structure uses natural daylight, an open concepts with attached pods & gradual, quiet transitions from one space to another. This gives it a soft, slow, restorative feel that is soothing in comparison to all the sudden, disruptive changes going on.

Often, people arrive carrying the loss of homes, belongings, pets, family members, income, certainty, & their overall ability of trusting the world around them. The structure both protects & provides a safe place to exhale, think, grieve, & relearn to live again. This means giving people:

1. Choice: the ability to be alone, or with others
2. Control: the ability to choose how much help, interaction, etc. they receive
3. Privacy: for grieving and decompressing away from public
4. Calm: a space to relax, breathe, and process quietly
5. Dignity: removing any institutional, rigid aspects, so it remains human first

To do this, the centre includes:

1. Filtered courtyard that feels as if you’re outdoors but without all the smoke exposure
2. Dedicated quiet room with sound softening for grieving, thinking, or general decompression
3. Memory wall for anything that’s been lost; homes, people, pets, towns, objects; anything people would like to honour & remember
4. Slow entry sequence to reduce stress by allowing people to gradually transition from crisis into a space of safety

While not a replacement, this design aims give back some of the freedom, sense of sureness, & normal life rhythm back to those who have lived through wildfire.

Pictured: Privacy/decompression pods, relaxation garden area, gradual entryway (semi-transparent tunnel)

With schools closed, medical access reduced, families separated & relocated, people need a space for socializing. Even if it's not in the usual way of socializing, they need somewhere to reconnect, organize, eat, & support one another. Without people and these connections, people can’t fully recover and return to normal life.

Social/Community Features:

1. Communal table for meals, planning, shared work or teleworking
2. Shared kitchen to reduce overwhelm & connect people through something that feels like home
3. Circular seating to allow people to gather & share together
4. Rebuilding desks with resources for completing forms, aid & practical support
5. Covered veranda area for informal gathering, meeting, chatting, etc.

After disasters, recovery goes way beyond logistics & personal healing. Connecting people through a social community gives victims a space to talk, cry, plan, share, wait, & reconnect.

Pictured: socializing pods (3D side and 2D top views)

Apart from the emotional & social healing, the structure also acts as a clean-air refuge for physical recovery. Even when air appears to be clear, fine particulate matter (especially PM2.5) is small enough to reach deep into lungs, causing permanent damage. The filtration system will protect from this, providing safety & peace of mind.

Physical Features:

1. Heat-deflecting outer shell protecting from embers, ash & excessive heat
2. Sealed entrances with vestibules to hold out smoke
3. HEPA/MERV-rated filtration to purify air inside
4. Backup power for filtration incase of outages
5. Protected “outdoor” space with social seating & diffused light
6. Eco-friendly ember-resistant roofs, vents, & exterior details
7. Low-water consumption greenery to create oxygen & a natural feeling space

Keeping indoor air pressure slightly higher than outdoor air pressure allows air to leak outward, ensuring smoke doesn’t leak inward through cracks or open doors. This pressure & filtration system cuts the need for a perfect seal, reducing costs and allowing an innovative modular design.

Pictured: protected outdoor-feeling space (main room), fully filtered mini housing pods (sub-idea, model inspired by tiny house seen in magazine)

The structure needs to balance affordability, ease of set up, & keep the most crucial features. Thankfully, this can achieved using modular construction that allows the system to be shipped in parts, assembled rapidly, & later expanded (or taken down and relocated) if needed.

Main Cost Priorities:

1. Non-flammable, heat-deflecting exterior
2. Strong filtration for clean, breathable air
3. Structural frame with modular connections
4. Semi-translucent roof layers for glare-free daylight
5. Backup power in case of emergency
6. Simple, durable finishes
7. Low-cost ecological greenery

To keep costs low, the form is kept simple, cutting unnecessary details & materials while avoiding a utilitarian feel. This includes placing the courtyard centrally, repeating room modules (customizable upon set-up), & incorporating the natural, soft details as part of the structure itself.

1. Semi-circle sections with a circumference of 26.5m creates 288 m² of floor area (using 10 sections)
2. Reserve 64 m² for interior courtyard, dividing remaining 224 m² for refuge, gathering space, quiet rooms, kitchen, washrooms, & memorial space
3. Compact but spacious feeling, still efficient use of space

For testing the site & massing, I used Forma. Start with this software, because it will assist with the overall geometry and concept before diving to far into all the details. Starting with Sioux Lookout as my site, I located an empty, flat area to build.

Steps:

1. Create a new project
2. Add the site or location (I started with Sioux Lookout)
3. Sketch a simple building mass based on your blueprint
4. Cut out the open areas (central courtyard)
5. Test sun & shade exposure by rotating around
6. Ensure the building can adjust to sit well on any land
7. Screenshot the best angles (as shown above)

Using Forma gives a general idea of the floor plan/blueprint, the structure, and shows its ability to sit lightly on the chosen piece of land, while still being a protective structure. To get a better idea of how it will look in 3D, I would suggest uploading into Revit. Personally, I rendered my 3D in AI because I don't have the operating system for Revit.

To develop 3D objects to input into my design, I planned to use Fusion. For example, the folding technology, social seating, dragonfly wing-inspired skylight, air filters, etc. could all be developed in Fusion. However, my laptop wasn't able to handle the software, so I created all the unique, human features by hand instead, then rendered AI versions to visualize in 3D. If I had used Fusion, this would be my plan:

Steps for each object:

1. Open new design file
2. Create each object (start with 2D) separately
3. Extrude it into a 3D version
4. Ensure designs are repeatable, functional & modular
5. Ensure they can be recreated in real life with eco-safe materials
6. Look into ease of construction (initial) & assembly (after)
7. Save & export into mockup 3D model

Objects to design:

1. circular social benches
2. greenery & planter modules
3. honeycomb wall structures
4. long communal table
5. low-power light fixtures
6. dragonfly-wing ceiling
7. filtration & housing unit for it
8. modular pill-bug mechanic furniture (seating, tables, benches)

Revit is the clear choice for building the main 3D model; it can handle architectural space very clearly compared to other tools. Import your files from Forma & Fusion and the entire project comes together into a realistic building visual. During this stage, you can see the features & logic in the plan. Walk through the trauma-informed layout, the insect-inspired biomimicry, the fluidity between privacy / community, calm / activity, indoor refuge / outdoor space. Watch it all come together!

Steps:

1. Start a new architectural project
2. Set levels & units (to preference, I chose metric as I'm in Canada)
3. Import your Forma file(s)
4. Work on any needed changes to exterior shape (rooms, form, height…)
5. Add primary details; courtyard, windows, skylight, doors, circulation
6. Add secondary details; roofs, canopies, & outdoor area
7. Import your Fusion file(s)
8. Insert Fusion models: seating, filters, tables, ceiling, folding mechanics, etc.
9. Create sections & elevation to fit the landscape & design desired
10. Develop 3D view (& explore perspectives, there's so many cool views!)
11. Screenshot interior, exterior, half/half views, close-ups, & a large bird’s eye view to ensure the concept will be understood from many angles, inside & out

Unfortunately, I don’t have access to an operating system to run Revit. This made the 3D building process a lot harder, as Revit is an incredible tool. Instead I used only Forma, and programmed AI to create a 3D version to visualize. (But Revit would have been amazing)!

To start out, I've chosen 2 locations to test prototypes of the modular recovery centre: one local & one international. Testing will start in these locations, followed by seeking user feedback after wildfire season & checking in with users again a year later, to see if they felt they gained something from the centre during that difficult time. Plans can then be revised & reformed before redistributing as a solution adaptable to many global wildfire regions.

Other locations with high-need for these centres include:

Locally (Within Canada)

1. Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL
2. High Level, AB
3. Terrace, BC
4. Fort St. John, BC

Internationally (Under-resourced regions)

1. Xingu region, Brazil
2. Amazonas/Pará frontier areas, Brazil
3. Forest frontier areas, Bolivia
4. Chhattisgarh, India
5. Assam, India
6. Northern (rural) Nigeria
7. Forest-edge communities, DR Congo
8. Rural districts, Mozambique.

Portable, modular, breathable, & focused on both social & personal recovery. This project serves a basic, but all-too-common need that affects millions. It is heat-resistant, smoke-proof, climate-conscious, biophilic, & most importantly; trauma-informed & community based. It would provide people with a place to breathe, to rest, to gather. A place to grieve, to recover, & as a place to rebuild lives.

Working on this project and designing something that could potentially be of use to millions of people was an incredible experience. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity, despite the few technology pitfalls. Through research, designing, testing technologies, & figuring out a way to share the entire process with readers, I learnt so much. Thank you to Instructables, to Autodesk, and to Joshua Dobbs for shedding light on a range of pressing issues and inspiring people to take action. I appreciate you taking the time to review everyone's amazing projects!

*Note that some designs are based on external inspiration drawn from insects, nature, existing architecture found online and in print media, and existing furniture models

Canada. Health Canada. Guidance for Cleaner Air Spaces during Wildfire Smoke Events. Government of Canada, 27 Sept. 2020, https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/guidance-cleaner-air-spaces-during-wildfire-smoke-events.html

Canada. Health Canada. Human Health Effects of Wildfire Smoke. Government of Canada, 2024, https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2024/sc-hc/H144-123-2024-eng.pdf

Canada. Indigenous Services Canada. Wildfire Evacuation Information for Indigenous Peoples. Government of Canada, 5 June 2023, https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1686078907307/1686078925161

Canada. Public Health Agency of Canada. An Intersectional Analysis of the Disproportionate Health Impacts of Wildfires. Government of Canada, 17 July 2024, https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/rapid-review-intersectional-analysis-disproportionate-health-impacts-wildfires.html

Enterprise Community Partners. Trauma-Informed Disaster Response. 18 Feb. 2026, https://www.enterprisecommunity.org/learning-center/resources/trauma-informed-disaster-response

Holst Architecture. Trauma-Informed Design. https://www.holstarc.com/research-development/trauma-informed-design/

Interior Health. Module 1 – Introduction to Trauma-Informed Practice: Sources and Reference List by Module. https://www.interiorhealth.ca/sites/default/files/PDFS/tip-sources-and-reference-list-by-module.pdf

National Center for Biotechnology Information. Creating Clean Air Spaces During Wildland Fire Smoke Episodes. PMC, 14 Feb. 2021, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7928341/

National Center for Biotechnology Information. Trauma-Informed Design of Supported Housing: A Scoping Review. PMC, 31 Oct. 2022, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9658651/

Pallet Shelter. Why Pallet Is Driven by Trauma-Informed Design. 29 Jan. 2024, https://palletshelter.com/blog/why-pallet-is-driven-by-trauma-informed-design/

Terrapin Bright Green. 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design. 11 Sept. 2014, https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/reports/14-patterns/

University of Waterloo. Rebuildable Homes for Post-Disaster Resilience. UWSpace, 16 Oct. 2025, https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/items/fb6cb8e9-b0c9-432b-9d65-9c8944286832