History’s catalog homes providing modern blueprint in LA’s wildfire rebuilding – San Bernardino Sun

Real estate consultants Steven and Jason Somers came up with a vintage solution for the mammoth task of rebuilding from Los Angeles’ devastating firestorms.

Why not create a catalog of standard floor plans that displaced families can use to rebuild their homes, saving tons of time and buckets of money?

The Somers brothers latched onto the 80-year-old Case Study design program as their muse.

From 1945 to 1966, a cadre of top architects designed several dozen adaptable, affordable models for urgently needed post-war housing.

See also: California rules will require more fire resistant homes in Palisades, Altadena

This time around, Case Study 2.0 is bringing together about 40 architects to design up to 50 elegant, yet affordable floor plans that can be submitted for pre-approval.

“We wanted to pick up the baton where they left it and adapt the program to the needs of today,” said Steven Somers, chief executive of Crest Real Estate and co-founder of Case Study 2.0.

“If we can get away from completely one-off construction projects, and we can start building these things at scale, then you can build an esthetically elevated house by a world-class architect for substantially reduced construction costs,” he said.

Case Study 2.0 is one of a number of grassroots groups that sprang up since the firestorms to create pre-approved, standard plans to help replace the 10,300 houses incinerated in the Palisades and Eaton fires.

As with Case Study 2.0, groups like the Foothill Catalog Foundation, the Sunset Mesa Collective and Habitat for Humanity are resorting to a time-honored blueprint for recovery by cutting red tape while restoring a modicum of L.A.’s rich and varied architectural heritage. In the process, more residents might be able to return to their neighborhoods rather than selling out to land speculators.

Los Angeles County planners and building officials are on board with the idea, forming a study group and pulling together a pre-approved program within the last several months.

Thirty such plans already are under review, said Edward Rojas, assistant director of L.A. County’s Advance Planning Division.

To qualify, local government planners and building officials must verify that the plans comply with zoning and building codes. Once a set of plans is pre-approved, a homeowner can go straight to getting their site plan approved, then apply for their building permits.

One architect estimated pre-approved homes could cut design costs by 95% and construction costs by 60%, while trimming the years-long rebuilding process to 10 months or less.

“We know there are a lot of people that want to help, especially design professionals, and we want to facilitate their ability to help,” Rojas said. “Having a pre-approved standard plan allows a design professional to offer their product at a lower cost vs. a custom-designed home.”

Pre-approved plans already helped homeowners rebuild after a massive wildfire nearly wiped out the Northern California town of Paradise in 2018, and were used in Maui following its fatal blaze in 2023.

Jen Goodlin, executive director of the Rebuild Paradise Foundation, said 198 families used her group’s “library of floor plans” to rebuild, and more homes are under construction based on those blueprints.

The Foothill Catalog Foundation also is harkening to the past for inspiration, basing their project on the Sears Roebuck catalog homes of the early 1900s.

See also: Borrowing page from old-school ‘catalog’ concept, nonprofit gaining ground on rebuilding Altadena

Working with more than 50 designers, the Foothill Catalog hopes to have plans for 10 homes pre-approved by the end of July, then build on that. The nonprofit displayed at least 30 conceptual designs during a May showcase in Sierra Madre that drew more than 400 visitors.

Designs under consideration range a 1,000-square-foot Spanish mission revival home to a 2,000-square-foot mid-century modern.

“It’s a renaissance of the catalog homes that was popularized by Sears Roebuck and many other companies,” Athenson said. “Essentially, this process is the same.”

‘Hell for you’

Denise Hamilton’s brother told her not to rebuild her Altadena home of 29 years.

It will take longer to rebuild than you think, said her brother, who works for a large developer. It will cost more than you think.

Before hiring a contractor, you first have to find an architect, get the permits, pick the building materials and get up to speed on new fire codes.

“It’s just going to be hell for you,” he said.

The design and floor plan for “La Mariposa,” a Pueblo Revival home, is one of 30 plans created by The Foothill Catalog Foundation, a new nonprofit that hopes to offer a streamlined, more affordable way for Altadenans to rebuild their homes and still retain the town’s diverse architectural spirit. (Photo courtesy of The Foothill Catalog Foundation)

The Foothill Catalog Foundation is a nonprofit offering an expedited, more affordable way for Altadenans to rebuild. This mid-century ranch-style design for “The Palm” is one of about 30 home plans the group has created. (Photo courtesy of The Foothill Catalog Foundation)

The construction set for “The Lewis” design is in the hands of Los Angeles County officials for pre-approval. This would be The Foothill Catalog Foundation’s first home ready for site verification and construction. (Photo courtesy of The Foothill Catalog Foundation)

Ana Veiga takes a photo of a drawing of Spanish Revival home she likes, one of 30 designs presented by The Foothill Catalog Foundation at a showcase at the Sierra Madre Woman’s clubhouse on May 3. (Photo by Anissa V. Rivera)

Altadenans examine drawings and plans for home builds offered by The Foothill Catalog Foundation at a design showcase at the Sierra Madre Woman’s clubhouse on May 3. The nonprofit has submitted its first construction set for one home plan to Los Angeles County officials, one step closer to rebuilding. (Photo by Anissa V. Rivera)

Alex Athenson, co-founder of The Foothill Catalog Foundation, speaks with Victoria Knapp, chair of the Altadena Town Council, at a design showcase of the foundation’s home designs at the Sierra Madre Woman’s clubhouse on May 3. (Photo by Anissa V. Rivera)

A rendering of one of the styles of houses homeowners can choose from in rebuilding in the Eaton fire areas. San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity received the first approved permit for a rebuild on Olive Avenue in Altadena on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. The group is moving ahead, hoping to complete 200 house rebuilds or repairs in the fire zone. (image from The Foothill Catalog Foundation and the SGV Habitat For Humanity.)

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The design and floor plan for “La Mariposa,” a Pueblo Revival home, is one of 30 plans created by The Foothill Catalog Foundation, a new nonprofit that hopes to offer a streamlined, more affordable way for Altadenans to rebuild their homes and still retain the town’s diverse architectural spirit. (Photo courtesy of The Foothill Catalog Foundation)

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“I don’t know anything about vetting architects,” said Hamilton, 70, a technical writer. “I was at the point of, I probably can’t rebuild. And it was horrible because I lived there so long.”

Hamilton, her son and ex-husband narrowly escaped the night of Jan. 7.

They realized it was time to leave when her ex-husband awoke and saw bright orange flames billowing outside his windows.

“We have to go now!” he said, as embers flew about like a rain of fire.

They took a suitcase and fled, leaving behind her cat, Della, which was nowhere to be found and hasn’t been seen since.

Living in a Pasadena apartment, Hamilton was set to sell her land and move on, as her brother advised.

Then, she learned about the pre-approved plans the Foothill Catalog Foundation is preparing and decided that maybe she can replace her small, three-bedroom house.

The foundation “is taking homeowners like me so far down the process that it’s actually possible” to rebuild, she said.

Hamilton believes her insurance would cover 100% of her rebuilding costs if she uses a pre-approved plan.

She’s considering three conceptual designs that match the 1,200-square-foot house she lost: the Pueblo Revival “Mariposa;” the “Future Proof Tudor” and the “Marlowe.”

“I think it’s going to work for me. I really do,” Hamilton said. “I have a feeling a lot of people are going to jump on these concepts.”

Prefab designs

Several groups are designing homes that use a prefab technique known as “panelization,” where walls are built in a factory, then assembled at the home site.

The San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity is among those incorporating panelization into the three housing designs it’s creating for the Foothill Catalog.

The designs include a Craftsman-style house, a bungalow with board-and-batten siding and a flat-roofed Spanish stucco house, said Brian Stanley, construction director of the group’s San Gabriel Valley chapter.

“The Foothill Catalog was extremely interested in not deviating from the feel of the community,” he said.

Two of the plans already have been submitted to the county for pre-approval.

Stanley estimated the cost of using a pre-approved plan to be less than $5,000 versus about $35,000 in architecture fees for a custom-home plan.

Habitat also can provide financing to low-income households to help cover their rebuilding costs.

“We are open to creating for any fire victim,” Stanley said. “But as an organization, we’re one of the few that would be in a position to help those who are under-insured or have no insurance at all.”

See also: LA wildfire recovery’s powerful allies: Brains and money

The Sunset Mesa Collective also is working on modular plans for the unincorporated Sunset Mesa neighborhood just west of Pacific Palisades, where close to 300 structures burned down.

The group has drafted five plans so far and is lining up manufacturers to provide modular building materials.

“What homeowners need most is faster rebuilding, predictable budgets, fire resistance, resilience and sustainable options,” said James Hughes, Sunset Mesa Collective co-founder an architect with the firm doing design work for the group.

The group plans to provide limited customization by changing home placement and some facade variation “so these homes don’t look exactly the same,” Hughes said.

Two other floor plans already under consideration came from Los Angeles pre-fab developer, SuperLA.

To use SuperLA’s plans, however, homeowners have to use the firm as a contractor as well, said Aaron van Schaik, a principal with the firm.

The cost would be from $825,000 to $950,000 for one-story houses ranging from 1,275- to 1,750-square feet. 

“This is specifically for fire victims,” he said.

Collective action

Others are taking a collective approach to rebuilding, but stop short of getting them pre-approved.

Some neighborhoods, for example, are working together to come up with common plans in hopes of sharing the costs of rebuilding.

In Janes Village, neighbors wanted to preserve the distinctive charm of the 300 or so “storybook” Tudor cottages built by Elisha P. Janes a century ago.

The Altadena Collective — a nonprofit created by local architects and designers — worked with residents to find floor plans from the original homes, characterized by their steep-sloping roofs, multiple gables and arched front windows and doors. They also took measurements of the few homes still standing.

The collective then developed six slightly modernized Janes Village concepts, featuring a variety of facades, with sizes ranging from 1,200 to just under 1,500 square feet. The plans have been donated to the Foothill Catalog so residents can use them as a starting point for designing their own homes.

Janes Village resident Louise Hamlin said she’s planning to adapt the Farnsworth concept for her new home, changing the back, updating the interior and enlarging the home slightly.

“It will have a more modern feel inside,” said Hamlin, 51.

Hamlin will hire architects from the Altadena Collective to complete the plans, but “it’s a really modest amount of money compared to hiring someone independently. And my house plan, I assume, will be available for other people who might want to use it. It saves me money, and it saves other neighbors, hopefully, time and money.”

Altadena Collective co-founder Timothy Vordtriede said the plans weren’t so much created as discovered from history.

“We use the six floor plans … as a starting point to kind of get the design juices flowing for us and for the homeowners,” said Vordtriede, himself a Janes Village fire victim.

The Farnsworth is one of six conceptual designs the Altadena Collective created for rebuilding homes in the Janes Village neighborhood. The floor plan has three bedrooms, one bathroom and 1,242 square feet. (Image courtesy of the Altadena Collective)

The Elisha is one of six conceptual designs the Altadena Collective created for rebuilding homes in the Janes Village neighborhood. The floor plan has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and 1,460 square feet. (Image courtesy of the Altadena Collective)

The Dena is one of six conceptual designs the Altadena Collective created for rebuilding homes in the Janes Village neighborhood. The floor plan has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and 1,446 square feet. (Image courtesy of the Altadena Collective)

The Cobb is one of six conceptual designs the Altadena Collective created for rebuilding homes in the Janes Village neighborhood. The floor plan has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and 1,288 square feet. (Image courtesy of the Altadena Collective)

The Butler is one of six conceptual designs the Altadena Collective created for rebuilding homes in the Janes Village neighborhood. The floor plan has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and 1,239 square feet. (Image courtesy of the Altadena Collective)

The Alta is one of six conceptual designs the Altadena Collective created for rebuilding homes in the Janes Village neighborhood. The floor plan has three bedrooms, one bathroom and 1,195 square feet. (Image courtesy of the Altadena Collective)

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The Farnsworth is one of six conceptual designs the Altadena Collective created for rebuilding homes in the Janes Village neighborhood. The floor plan has three bedrooms, one bathroom and 1,242 square feet. (Image courtesy of the Altadena Collective)

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