A unique home-building design is gaining popularity in regions prone to natural disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, or earthquakes, as has been the case this year in California.
The Restructure Group’s RSG 3-D home-building method primarily supports new construction, utilizing the Resilient Panel Building System, which is engineered for ground-up projects. This system delivers a non-combustible, high-strength shell that withstands the most extreme conditions.
Retrofitting existing or disaster-vulnerable homes is often necessary, but it rarely addresses the underlying fundamental structural weaknesses, according to Ken Calligar, founder and CEO of RSG 3-D.
In disaster-prone areas, future-proofing starts with the materials.
“When everything else fails, a structure built with RSG 3-D Panel system becomes a lifeline,” Calligar told GlobeSt.com.
The materials for the Resilient Panel Building System are engineered for life-cycle durability, energy efficiency and disaster resistance.
Construction costs are generally very competitive compared to legacy inferior systems, Calligar said.
The RSG 3-D system panels are prefabricated and delivered ready for installation, dramatically reducing on-site labor and construction time. In some cases, projects have moved from slab to shell in under a week.
“That kind of efficiency allows us to keep pace with demand while staying on budget and schedule,” he said.
“The RSG 3-D Panel typically represents less than 10% of the overall construction budget, but provides 100% of its resilience and life-cycle value. Traditional materials such as wood are prone to decay, water intrusion, fire, and pests. They require constant upkeep, are more susceptible to damage, and often lead to full structural loss in a disaster."
The scale of destruction from recent wildfires in California is staggering. In January 2025 alone, the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles County destroyed a combined total of over 16,000 structures. Families have been displaced and communities disrupted. Rebuilding the same way isn’t an option anymore.
RSG currently has a pipeline of 60 to 75 homes in Los Angeles, with projections of 60 to 100 for 2026 and 150 or more for 2027.
Calligar said the most challenging aspects of getting these development projects going are education and a new mindset for the developer.
“Despite the rising frequency of disasters, the construction industry continues to rely on outdated methods and materials such as wood framing,” he said.
“Builders, developers, and even policymakers often default to ‘what we’ve always done,’ even when it’s proven to fail. There’s a pervasive assumption that resilience equals complexity or cost. In reality, the RSG-3D system offers greater life-cycle affordability.”
According to Calligar, RSG 3-D is seeing a significant surge in demand, as natural disasters become more prevalent in regions prone to them, including Florida, California, and the Gulf Coast.
“We may be approaching the point where RSG 3-D–type structures become ‘the standard’ in at-risk areas. But even in regions with fewer immediate threats, the system remains the smarter, more valuable and healthier option.”
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