Journal Entry #3 - TFCF in the LA Times, Our First Event, and more!
It was another busy couple weeks at TFCF - this initiative was recognized by the LA Times (!), we hosted our first sold out event, attended other community events, and we are beginning to build out a more robust team and volunteer group.
In the Press
Thank you to the LA Times for reaching out and covering TFCF.
“What if there were a way to rebuild the community with respect to what was lost? As residents continue to imagine what Altadena’s future could look like after the Eaton fire, and fight to preserve its legacy from mass development, dreamers have begun mapping plans that would pay honor to homes dating back to the last century.
Inspired by early 20th century Sears catalogs that allowed customers to pick a house design that was sold and shipped as a kit, local architects founded the Foothill Catalog Foundation in the aftermath of the fire. The idea behind the nonprofit is to develop a variety of home designs with preapproved plans that reflect Altadena’s history.”
Read the full article here.
TFCF’s president Alex was also interviewed for an article and podcast by Iconic Life Magazine.
“We knew that there would inherently be a gap between what the means people would have themselves, or what they get from insurance, and what it would actually cost to rebuild your house back what you lost in today’s industry,” Athenson explains. “So as architects, we need to figure out a way to bridge that gap, not only to be able to provide, you know, a resource or use our skills and knowledge of the building industry to make things efficient, but really to keep as many community members in their homes and in their hometown as possible, giving them the ability, through affordable resources, of having options to rebuild.”
Read the full article here.
Event recap -
The highlight of the month was hosting our first in-person event and getting to meet many of you for the first time! At our AEC meet and greet on 2/26, we had almost 60 people gather at Wild Parrot Brewing Co.’s patio in Pasadena. It was a mix of building professionals from architects to contractors, along with Altadena residents, community members, and representatives from LA County. Our speakers included:
Alex and Alison on the TFCF team to give an introduction to the mission and some information on next steps, and how to get involved as a volunteer.
Altadena resident Callum Hanlon to give some insight from his perspective as someone who lost his home in the fire, and why a resource like the Catalog could be helpful for his community.
LA County officials Edward Rojas AICP, Mitch Glaser, AICP, and Ciara Barnett on their support for TFCF, and efforts to create a process for pre-approving plans together.
Looking forward
After a successful kick off event, we are looking to continue to develop the framework for the Catalog, with the goal to officially solicit design submissions from architects soon. We have had over 150 interested architects and designers reach out so far and are so excited to get everyone involved! We have also begun reviewing initial concept designs, and will continue to refine the layouts and designs to ensure efficiency and affordability.
Initial concepts - not for construction. Design is an iterative process, so there is a lot of back and forth that happens from here to ensure efficiency, sustainability, and resiliency (fire hardening). There are also so many more home styles and types we’d like to include - this is just an initial sampling!
We’ve also gotten a lot of questions about garages and ADUs. The intent is that both would be included in various styles and sizes!
Future Events to look out for:
Exciting news! Our next event is officially scheduled for March 28th, 7-9PM at the Altadena Main Library (they just re-opened!) and it will be the first of a monthly lecture series & community social hour hosted in collaboration with Altadena Heritage, Altadena Historical Society, Pasadena Heritage, and the Bungalow Heaven Neighborhood Association. Event details and registration information to follow!
We are looking to host a community engagement event in the near future (date TBD) - as an opportunity for residents and the community to get together, ask questions, review some initial concept designs for the Catalog, and give us some feedback! More information coming soon.
If you have any ideas on venues and locations on where to host future events, please reach out to us!
Call for Volunteers
As a rapidly growing initiative, we are actively looking to grow our volunteer base. If you are interested in getting involved as a volunteer, please fill out this intake form! The effort is split into 4 categories:
Operations (Communications, Outreach, Admin, Fundraising)
Programming (Event Planning, Film/Video, Resource Development)
Catalog Framework Development (Building Experts, Sustainability, Resiliency)
Resident Steering Committee (for Altadena residents & community members)
We will need support in all of these areas, so please let us know what your interest might be and we will be in touch soon!
Please note that this form is for volunteers only, and we will be sending a separate intake form for for architects + designers looking to contribute a design to the Catalog in the future once the official framework is in place.
To everyone:
Continuing to spread the word, and donating if you are able - supports this organization tremendously. Your donation supports our mission by helping us cover operational costs of the Foundation, along with the research for development of the framework and eventual production of the Catalog. A portion of your donation also contributes to the establishment of a grant that will benefit affected homeowners directly. Donate here. For those who have contributed, and continue to share and engaged with our message, thank you! We truly appreciate your support.
As always - reach out anytime if you have any questions would like to know more, or want to get involved with TFCF. This is a collective movement to rebuild our community, and we would love to have you on our team.
Until Next Time,
The Foothill Catalog
Be sure to follow us on Instagram (@thefoothillcatalog), Facebook, and/or Linkedin for more real time updates.