The project typology is a university institute for the study of prairie, woodland and forest fires located in Western Colorado. The thesis will examine the need for natural fire and the need to control fire in populated areas. In the black refers to the safety area in an actual fire fighting mission. The burnt area, or the black, is the safest place to be during a fire, as it has already burn and it will not burn again. The term in the black correlates itself to the research institute as a place that studies fire to make the environment and people safe form fire. The project is located by Eldorado Springs, CO. just south of Boulder. The total size for this research institute is 125,000 sf.