Altadena Residence

Altadena rebuild, like for like, fire loss, eaton fire, palisades

The Altadena Residence Rebuild restores a century-old Mission Revival home that was completely lost in the Eaton Fire. Located in a high wildfire-risk area at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, the project carefully retains the original massing, scale, and architectural language of the historic residence while reimagining its construction through a contemporary lens focused on resilience, safety, and long-term performance.

In addition to preserving the home’s historic character, the floor plan has been reworked to better support contemporary living. The original small galley kitchen is transformed into an open, functional kitchen that anchors the main living spaces and includes a pass-through window to the backyard for entertaining

Secondary bathrooms are resized and reconfigured for improved comfort and efficiency, while the primary bedroom suite is expanded to take advantage of enhanced views toward the San Gabriel Mountains. The backyard is re-envisioned as an extension of the interior living spaces, strengthening the connection between indoors and out and supporting everyday use as well as gatherings.
The rebuilt home preserves the familiar rooflines, courtyard organization, and solid masonry character typical of early Altadena residences, ensuring continuity with the surrounding neighborhood. Behind this traditional exterior, however, the structure is entirely new—designed to exceed current building codes and integrate advanced strategies for wildfire resistance, energy efficiency, and durability.

Item descriptThe project prioritizes long-term environmental performance through a high-efficiency building envelope and passive design strategies. A continuous mineral wool–insulated exterior wall assembly improves thermal performance while enhancing fire resistance. The residence incorporates an unvented, conditioned attic, reducing energy loss, improving indoor comfort, and eliminating vulnerable attic venting. Durable, low-maintenance materials and efficient systems support reduced operational energy demands and long-term building performance.ion
Fire resiliency is a core design driver for the Altadena Residence, informing decisions from site planning to envelope detailing.
Roofing
The roof assembly utilizes Class A clay roof tiles with cement bird stops over fire resistant weather resistant barrier, designed to resist ignition and limit fire spread in compliance with Wildland Urban Interface requirements. Roof eaves have been eliminated to reduce the risk of ember accumulation.
Exterior Walls and Siding
The exterior wall assembly consists of a 1-hr 7/8” cement plaster system over continuous mineral wool insulation and fire resistance weatherproofing barrier. This assembly provides enhanced fire resistance, limits heat transfer, and improves overall envelope durability.
Windows and Doors
High-performance, thermally broken aluminum window and door systems with dual glazing provide both energy efficiency and improved resistance to radiant heat exposure.
Vents and Attic Strategy
The residence is designed with an unvented, conditioned attic, eliminating traditional attic and foundation vents that are common points of ember intrusion while also improving energy efficiency.
Ember-Resistant Features
The architecture minimizes horizontal ledges and incorporates near-eaveless roof edges to reduce ember accumulation. Steel trellis structures replace combustible wood elements, and roof overhangs are clad with noncombustible materials. A wildfire sprinkler system by Frontline Wildfire Defense System 2 provides an additional active layer of protection during fire events.
Client
Confidential

Location
Altadena, California
Program:
Single-Family Residential
Role
Architect
Scope
Full residential rebuild; architectural design; wildfire-resilient envelope and site strategies
Number of floors
2 Stories
Construction materials
Stucco-clad exterior wall assemblies with mineral wool insulation, fire-rated roofing, steel trellis elements
Delivery Method:
Design–Bid–Build

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