Zone Zero

The Berkeley Hills face a critical tension between a century-old architectural legacy of lush, integrated gardens and the urgent reality of extreme wildfire risk. Established by the Berkeley Hillside Club and architect Bernard Maybeck, the region’s signature aesthetic—characterized by dense vegetation and wood-shingled homes—now functions as a dangerous fire trap. To mitigate this, the city introduced the Ember Ordinance, mandating a "Zone Zero" buffer that requires residents to remove all combustible materials within five feet of structures. While this policy triggers significant community resistance and emotional grief over the loss of cherished landscapes, it represents a necessary shift in landscape architecture. By decoupling homes from their surrounding greenery, the ordinance aims to prevent ember-driven ignitions, prioritizing collective safety over the traditional "garden city" ideal in an increasingly volatile climate.