With our headquarters in California, unfortunately we are familiar with the devastation and damage caused by wildfires. This year, we experienced the destruction directly — losing our office, and separately, our founder lost his home.
As an architecture firm founded in social and environmental approaches to creating significant, lasting and valued place, however, rebuilding and re-imagining is part of everything we do. We also have direct experience in helping others in our same position.
After the Woolsley fires in 2018, MCTIGUE had the honor of rebuilding and rejuvenating two family homes we want to share as indicators of hope and the promise of what’s possible.
Malibu Rebuild
After absorbing the scope of what had been lost, the family decided they wanted to rebuild on their land, and to do so with a 3,300 square foot floorplan that was nearly identical to their beloved original home. Making this decision meant that permits were expedited, and there were fewer obstacles to beginning construction.
The first time we visited the site — long before it had been cleaned or plans had been drawn — we noticed that there were still oranges on the trees in the grove their home overlooked, giving us all even more resolve to build something that worked as One with nature’s resilience.
Although the floorplan was almost exactly the same, we designed with an intent make the interior airier, brighter, lighter, and tied more closely to the land surrounding it, both in terms of access, but also by taking into account prevailing breezes and the sun’s position.
The materials, vertical design and lack of roof overhangs all also create a more fire-resistant building, while environmentally Conscious and energy saving mechanical systems, insulation, lighting, and control systems all improved on the home’s impact on the Planet.
Bell Canyon Rebuild
When we first visited this site, it had already been cleaned —
an essential step before any rebuild. Immediately, we were struck by the possibility of this Place, and conducted a deep dive into the land’s aesthetic, the shape of the road and its approach to the house, as well as the topography that included an established avocado orchard and vineyard. Rebuilding the house was of course a priority, but we also had an opportunity to re-design and renew the land as we created a house that worked for it in nuanced and not-so-nuanced ways.
During this process, we discovered a way to design the home so that it curved more naturally with the land and the road, resulting in a sight-composed home with the entire property — and People’s ability to connect more deeply with it — in mind. As with the Malibu house, we also ensured a tight clean lines and fire-resistant construction that would not allow for any stray embers to sweep in.
Ultimately, our client decided not to go forward with an immediate build, as the house had been previously occupied by his 89 year-old mother, in a new stage of life that made single home-ownership challenging.
We’ve had many discussions in the last two months with others in similar positions. If you’re in your late 60s or 70s, you too may be considering using insurance rebuild funds to rent or find
more right-sized living, and then sell your land to invest.
Doing so with Conscious Architecture plans in place — pre-permitted and ready for construction on Day One — can not only leave a lasting legacy for People, Place, and Planet, but raise and establish the value of your treasured Place to maximize your financial outcome at zero cost.
Although we know the numbing disorientation of starting from a blank canvas, we also know that it can be a clean slate for Conscious possibility. In spite of the destruction so many have endured — including our own team —we are here, and we will continue to move forward to rebuild. Let us know how we can re-imagine for People, Place, and Planet with you.