The Edge

The Edge — IADA 2026 award

The Edge received Gold Winner recognition at the International Architecture & Design Awards 2026 in Sustainable & Green Architecture. Project status, design team and credits are listed alongside the presentation.

About the project

This house was designed to survive what will eventually test it.
Wildfire in Malibu is not hypothetical. It is cyclical, seasonal, and accelerating. The challenge was not to harden a home after it was conceived, but to remove combustibility from the architecture itself.

What does residential design become when fire is treated as a primary force rather than a secondary concern?

At Point Dume, openness defines living: expansive glazing, deep overhangs, seamless terraces, uninterrupted horizons. Yet these qualities often introduce risk. The project resolved this tension by eliminating fuel at every level of design. Light-gauge steel replaces traditional wood framing, removing ignition from the structural core. Fire-rated exterior sheathing reinforces the envelope, extending endurance under extreme heat.

Exterior decks and terraces, typically vulnerable in wildfire conditions, were conceived from the outset in non-combustible stone, concrete, and fire-retardant composite materials. Nothing exposed invites flame.

The living roof operates as both a landscape and defense system, integrated with full-coverage sprinklers designed to suppress embers and reduce heat accumulation. In the event of a hazard, the sprinkler network can draw directly from the pool through a dedicated high-capacity pump, ensuring water delivery even if municipal supply is compromised. A private on-site hydrant further reinforces this autonomy.

The challenge was not to withdraw from the landscape. It was to remain open to it: intelligently, responsibly, and with the strength to endure.

Minarc

Minarc
Minarc, located in Santa Monica, CA, was established by Erla Dögg and Tryggvi in 1999. The work of their practice ranges from small-scale renovations to new construction, in residential, commercial and public settings. Each project shares an emphasis on the blurring of distinction between interior and exterior spaces through the exploitation of natural light, creation of outdoor living rooms, and artistically framed views of nature.