Firewatch is a conceptual shelter design, inspired by the popular video game “Firewatch.” Firewatch is all about escapism. Firewatch tries to impart the impossibility of escape. We cannot escape the harsh reality of life, regardless of what decisions we make. Hardship is something we all experience at some point or another, but we must face it and confront our mistakes. Recognizing this, I chose to devote my project to the idea that while a shelter affords protection, it can also force an individual to come to terms with the harsh conditions and realities of life that they are surrounded by and subject to. With this realization comes power and a feeling of self-actualization.

A fire lookout tower provides housing and protection for those called “fire lookouts,” whose duty is to search for wildfires in the wilderness that surrounds them. It is a small building, ranging from 30 to 60 feet tall, usually on a high vantage point to maximize viewing distance and range. In these towers, using an instrument called the Osborne Fire Finder and topographical maps, trained fire observers are able to spot and triangulate the location of possible wildfires. After ascertaining the location, the observer will file a "smoke report" which will be investigated and appropriate action taken by a local firewarden. The lookouts also report weather changes and plot the location of lightning strikes during storms. The location of the strike is monitored for a period of days afterwards, in case of ignition.