As residents of Altadena work to restore thousands of homes lost in January’s devastating Eaton Fire, one group is lending their expertise to help neighbors recover.
In the wake of the historic wildfire, a coalition of Black architects, engineers, and other industry professionals founded the Altadena Rebuild Coalition (ARC). As members of the Southern California Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (SoCal NOMA)—several of whom lost homes in the Los Angeles wildfires—they recognized the vital role they would play in the road ahead as residents navigate rebuilding their lives from the ground up.
“It seemed like a perfect opportunity for us to share our knowledge and expertise in a way that could help the community,” said Matthew J. Trotter, president of SoCal NOMA. Members of the diverse organization include architects, designers, civil engineers, urban planners, and more.
The idyllic foothill community was hardest hit by the Eaton Fire, which destroyed over 9,000 structures—including homes and businesses—in and around Altadena. According to UCLA researchers, Altadena’s Black residents were disproportionately impacted by the Eaton Fire, with nearly half of Black households in Altadena destroyed or badly damaged by the fire.
Altadena Rebuild Coalition
The ARC is offering free guidance to help impacted neighbors navigate the rebuilding process, holding workshops and gatherings to provide information, resources, and mutual support.
As wildfire victims navigate the lengthy process of rebuilding their residences, they’re faced with a lot to process—from fending off scammers and predatory developers, to decoding insurance policies, soil testing, and more.
That’s where ARC is working to close the gap. “We’re setting ourselves up to be a trusted partner in the community that they can come to with these issues and we can help steer them in the right direction,” Eletrice Harris of SoCal NOMA told AfroLA.
Community preservation
“I’d like to keep Altadena, Altadena,” said architect Charles T. Bryant, who has lived in Altadena for over 40 years. After losing his home in the Eaton Fire, he’s now working with the ARC to preserve the fabric of the community by helping neighbors stay and rebuild.
“People on this street, we’ve known each other for years. Very few people move out of this area,” said Bryant. “I don’t want to see large developers coming in buying up multiple properties and stamping out houses like cookie cutters.”
Bryant, principal architect of the award-winning Masbuild Design Solutions, is listed on the ARC’s professional directory among fellow industry experts offering their services to those navigating the rebuilding process.
Building for the future
In addition to connecting people with the right experts, the ARC hosts events to provide the community with vital information and a clear path forward. At a recent gathering held at the Altadena Library this month, a panel of experts discussed “Architecture: Rebuilding with Equity, Sustainability & Fire Safety.”
Michael Anderson, a panelist at the event, is also working with the ARC, using his expertise in designing innovative, equitable spaces to move Altadena’s recovery forward. He’s a principal at Anderson Barker, an award-winning design firm based in LA, and author of Urban Magic: Vibrant Black and Brown Communities Are Possible.
Community-centered approach
Anderson is working alongside future architects like Kianna Armstrong, a senior at the USC School of Architecture. With a background in community outreach, Armstrong joined the ARC to assist those affected by the Eaton Fire. She is a co-founder of Architecture + Advocacy, a student-led nonprofit focused on community-centered design.
“Community members aren’t asked for their opinion until it’s really too late to implement anything into the design process,” Armstrong explained. “So we decided to create Architecture + Advocacy, where we host workshops, design small-scale builds and offer other community engagement activities in order to have these conversations with community members: what do you envision for your community in the future?”
Through the ARC, Armstrong is engaging with residents to better understand their needs, helping the coalition tailor resources and support. “Something that we recognize as part of the Altadena Rebuild Coalition—and part of Architecture + Advocacy—is that listening and understanding the needs of the community is step one in all of this,” said Armstrong, who is also pursuing her Master of Science in Social Entrepreneurship (MSSE) at USC.
It’s about making sure that everyone has access to the resources so we have an equitable rebuilding process. We want to make sure that rebuilding will not have the same undertones of injustice that building has had in the past.
Kianna Armstrong, Architecture + Advocacy
With student leaders like Armstrong working alongside established professionals like Anderson, a spirit of collaboration is driving their efforts. “I’m basically taking what Kianna and others are doing with advocacy and helping them have a tangible solution to how we get the people of Altadena in housing on their lots,” said Anderson.
Historically Black Altadena
Altadena is home to multigenerational Black families, a place where Black homeownership long exceeded both state and national averages. The community’s rich legacy only deepened the fire’s devastation.
For generations, Altadena stood as a haven of racial and economic inclusion, where generations of Black families put down roots. At a time when pervasive housing discrimination excluded them from purchasing homes in surrounding areas, Altadena offered a chance to settle and thrive.
“Altadena is a place where Black people were able to break through a lot of barriers to getting housing and building generational wealth,” said Armstrong. “So, to have that generational wealth being lost was another reason I wanted to help. As a Black woman, I wanted to support my Black community.”
Citizen architects
There’s a term for community-centered architecture that strives to make a meaningful impact.
“It’s called citizen architect,” said USC architecture student Janae Edwards, who serves as Vice President of USC’s chapter of NOMAS (National Organization of Minority Architecture Students). “What we’re learning a lot in architecture and part of our architectural process is to begin with research and background of our site so that we can incorporate those ideas within our design.”
As Altadena rebuilds from the Eaton Fire—and as the tight-knit community continues to rally against predatory outside developers—the ARC and groups like the Dena Rekindling Network are helping the community recover with purpose and build back stronger.
“What we’re doing is looking at the community itself, and seeing how we can preserve the community and things (that) are historically significant through design,” said Edwards. “I think architecture is significant in that way, to ensure that the ideas of the community can be re-communicated through design.”
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