[Gerhard Albert] Becker... built an 18-foot "fire trough" through the home despite being warned of the dangers it may cause. It was described as an oversize indoor fire pit.
They said the attic was equipped with plastic pipes for fire sprinklers. The fire melted the pipes, flooding the attic and filling the insulation with water. The weight of the insulation appears to have caused a large section of the ceiling to collapse, injuring Allen and five other firefighters,
— LA Times
This seems to be a case of incompetence and stupidity tied to trying to save a few pennies. PVC pipe for fire sprinklers - might as well revoke his license already. But how can an architect afford a 12,500 sf house in the Hollywood Hills?
oh, 'The home was intended for use in a reality show for German TV starring Heidi Klum in a knockoff of "America's Next Top Model."'
Even better, Becker was arrested at LAX on Feb 11th...
21 Comments
wouldn't the builder and fire inspector be just as liable?!?
Reminds me of a plot of an obscure German film by Hans W. Geissendörfer THE GLASS CELL (1978). An architect is framed for murder because his design was found as the cause. He is released and goes after the contractor, the real culprit.
PVC is frequently used for residential fire sprinkler systems. Presumably there is more to it than this (although I note that the "architect" in question was not licensed).
Let's remember that it's a tragedy when a loss of life happens. While we don't have all the facts in front of us, I can only say that using plastic pipes for a sprinkler system is a stupid idea, cost,.... really, the difference is nothing. Codes are written after a tradegy has happen, that's how codes are created. As architects we first defend human life then property, in this order. Building inspectors only follow the codes even when they make no sense, they work for "government" they are held harmless and most of them are individuals that came from the trades and don't see the big picture.
I think the problem was the fire trough, and more importantly, the fact that it was 18 foot long. That's not a good idea, and certainly not a good one, unless it was going to be a controlled firepit. If it was open pit; bad idea.
For situations like this, it would be best to use Type I buildings because they wouldn't catch on fire. They do cost a few pennies more though.
On another note; the architect is risky, granted, but I don't think he can be charged for the death of the firefighter. Firefighters are men who walk into buildings that are on fire in an attempt to control the blaze, which is just about as dangerous a job as one can have. Very unfortunate to have lost the man though, and hurt his team members. We'll probably be needing them come summer.
Too bad fireman died trying to save a goddamn reality tv top model fucking set design. That is the real sad part.
Dear Barry Lehrman,
If this is your original comment / news content-
"This seems to be a case of incompetence and stupidity tied to trying to save a few pennies. PVC pipe for fire sprinklers - might as well revoke his license already"
It doesn't show much journalistic integrity. Do a little research before posting. A. In the city of Los Angeles, PVC pipe is de rigueur for concealed pipe in a residential sprinkler installations. and B. Gerhard Becker is not licensed as an architect in the state of California. It is easy to verify this online.
If you're just a parrot with an uniformed opinion, then start your own blog. Don't pretend to be a newsperson.
Dear spaceman,
I have a blog - so do a little research before posting. I also believe that just because the code allows something, that a competent architect will strive to do what is right, not just what is the code requires, especially when it comes to life safety. I also believe - as a former art director and set designer - that set designer and art directors (and the entire film/television industry) need to be held to the same legal life-safety standards, especially in the realm of reality tv.
Maybe the California Board will send a cease-and-desist letter to the LAtimes for describing Becker as an Architect.
Even more details emerge on Becker's willful design malfeasance in today's LAtimes:
In court records, authorities offer a detailed account of how Becker cut corners –- sometimes for speed and aesthetics.
Building inspectors said Becker had told them there were no plans to build fireplaces in the home, and none were spotted during a final inspection. After the fire, investigators discovered that he had installed four outdoor fireplaces inside the home, a violation of city building codes. He told investigators after Allen's death that "he did not consider them to be fireplaces but rather architectural features or decorations," according to court records.
One of the fireplaces was described as an 18-foot "fire trough." Another vented into the same room it was built in. And they were built on what authorities described as "combustible materials."
"This man built an 18-foot fire trough designed for outdoors inside the home. It was a recipe for disaster," said Deputy Dist. Atty. Sean Carney. "He essentially put this fireplace on 2-by-4s."
A search warrant affidavit filed by LAPD Det. Gregory M. Stearns described the fireplaces as a "present, extreme, immediate and imminent hazard."
Wow. If the information in the affidavit is true, Becker's behavior is totally indefensible and he should consider himself lucky if he escapes with just involuntary manslaughter.
But plainly this dude should not be considered an architect: cash assets in excess of seven million dollars?!?
I am all for innovation in design. But this sounds like Beavis and Butthead playing architect. I think Life Safety is essential. I think Codes can be unreasonable. I think design is essential. I think someone with 7 million dollar cash assets is likely not an architect by his own making or not only an architect (who would have the time to make that kind of living as an architect?!). I find it hard to believe that someone with that income is: self made, a committed architectural designer, or has much of an understanding of the reality that most people go through. Reminds me of a story I heard today of a 22 year old whose parents just bought her an 18 billion dollar penthouse here in Manhattan.
Wow. Surprised and disappointed at the same time. If that was in NYC, it never would have happened. How does that pass fire code review?
Barry, this is not a story about the pipes. UL listed pvc sprinkler pipes are common and accepted in residential construction here in Los Angeles.
I think the whole notion of PVC sprinkler pipes is wrong. It's nonsensical. It's an example of how far removed we are from understanding the materials from which architecture is made.
Caulk cracks - frequently pretty soon after it's installed. Compressed fiber is a perfect medium for mushrooms. PVC melts at 217dF, steel melts at 2600dF.
I don't care what the code says, as architects we are supposed to understand how the things we make work. A fire test in a controlled lab is not like an uncontrolled fire in a building.
While the story isn't just about pipes, it is also a story about the failure of the current fire code (like Donna said). All the other malpractice and bad decisions made by Mr. Becker would not have killed the firefighter if the sprinkler pipes had been metal.
I'm a fan of plastic irrigation lines in the landscape, but would never want to use any plastic fittings for fire sprinklers. Also PVC is a noxious and highly toxic material that the USGBC finally got around to stating the obvious. You'd think that in a $10m+ house, that highest quality materials would be used throughout. But maybe luxury is only skin deep in Heidi Klum's world.
Here are pics of the house from before the fire:
Barry's points about the sustainability are taken*, but Donna, I don't agree that PVC melting at over 200 degrees F has has any negative effect on suitability in a wet suppression system. Residential sprinkler heads activate when the bulb on the head exceeds 150 some degrees F (and only those heads, not all of them like in the movies). The sprinkler system will extinguish any fire in the zone it is meant to protect before the heat can ever reach a point where a supply pipe in a concealed assembly can melt. By the time that pipe melts, the sprinkler system has failed and the fire is out of control.
I don't think that this is about the water collapse (firefighters are aware that suppressing water from sprinkler can cause failures of ceilings and floors, and melting pvc or pex potable water lines can do the same thing), but that this jackass unnecessarily put these guys in a scenario where they could be killed.
*Though I wonder if S-40 Cast Iron is really any better (less dioxin, more coke-fueled furnaces)
Here's a few articles that offer a bit more explanation:
http://lafd.blogspot.com/2012/02/arrest-of-man-alleged-to-be-responsible.html
http://abcnews.go.com/US/architect-pleads-guilty-firefighters-death/story?id=15683605#.Tz__XHLLzeM
The lack of firebreaks seems to have contributed, pushing the fire up through the walls, and into the concealed ceiling space, resulting in failure (melt) of the pvc sprinkler piping, soaking the insulation and leading to eventual ceiling collapse. The sprinkler system is not meant to extinguish a fire in the concealed space unless dual heads were required by code....?
As a point of reference. The piping installed in the fire sprinkler system in this building was not PVC. The piping was a very unique compound of CPVC, specially developed for just this purpose. The installation met the current fire codes, and building codes.
What caused the system to melt is not the failure of the piping to perform as expected, it was someone with an ego as large as Mt. Everest making a decision they were not qualified to make. Becker decided that there was no reason to refrain from installing fire generating devices in a location in which they were never intended to be placed. Why is anyone surprised that the installation resulted in a fatal fire?
The truth that some of you seem to have forgotten is that a residential sprinkler system is designed to do one thing only - to delay flashover long enough to give the occupants enough time to exit the building safely. The discharge pattern of the sprinklers is different than you find in commercial buildings, as is the requirement for flow and pressure. All of that is based on numerous live burn tests, some on lab conditions, and some in real world scenarios. That is the goal of every residential sprinkler system, and the materials developed by the construction industry to improve the installation will keeping the costs reasonable are extensive, and I must point out successful in real world applications, not just laboratory testing.
Yes, it's absolutely horrible that the fire in this building resulted in the death of a very brave individual, and we should never lose sight of that tragic fact. However, it is not prudent, or reasonable to make wild assertions and statements which are not supported by any facts in this story. Instead of focusing our attention on CPVC piping, and sprinklers, we might be better served in taking what lesson we can from this awful fire regarding runaway ego.
The ceiling failed to keep the fire from the concealed space, the residential sprinklers couldn't contain a fire they were never designed to address, and the piping which was never intended to withstand direct impingement of flame melted. All of those are true, and not one bit of it made any difference in what happened here.
The installation of the fire troughs, after the CO had been issued is the real culprit here, just as an exploding meth lab would be in a crack house. In fact, it's almost exactly the same thing. Illegal installation of a dangerous device in a location it was never intended for results in a catastrophe.
Becker is rightfully on the hot seat, where he belongs.
Boomer, I totally agree with all your bigger points about how this tragedy actually came about and the fact that this "architect" wasn't one and used bad judgement throughout.
But without disagreeing, I say that if the sprinkler pipes *in this situation* had been steel (iron?) not plastic, they would not have melted when they did. Given how unpredictable fires are, for my *own* peace of mind as an architect, specifying CPVC , even if it meets code, makes me nervous. Codes are influenced by lobbying from manufacturers, are they not? Which is why architects are held to a higher responsibility than a code demands *if* they think something is unsafe even if it does meet code.
I have a friend who added a stair railing where code did not require one, for example. In his professional view, a railing made a code-permitted circumstance more safe.
All great points above... What about the fact that this person is NOT licensed in California? Can we and the press stop calling him an architect?
I know one does not have to be licensed to design residential buildings of a certain size and type, but generally, licensing suggests that an individual is held at a higher standard of care. This appears to be a case of an irresponsible designer without the same level of care and sense of responsibility an architect should have.
We go on and on about not calling ourselves architects unless we are licensed. Shouldn't we also try to get the press to follow the same rule?
I decided to use this case as a subject for my blog, "Unfrozen":
http://arch-unfrozen.tumblr.com/
Welcome your thoughts.
The AIA of Los Angeles has released a statement:
http://aialosangeles.org/article/aia-la-statement-on-tragic-death-of-la-firefighter
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