By Douglas Burdge, AIA, Principle of Burdge Architects For over 30 years, our team at Burdge Architects has called Malibu home. Practicing coastal architecture in Southern California means living alongside extraordinary natural beauty, but it also requires confronting a sobering geographic truth: fire is a natural, recurring element of our landscape. Having lived through and designed after devastating fire events—including the Woolsey Fire and subsequent regional burns—I’ve l

The post-fire recovery landscape in the Los Angeles region has created an unprecedented operational environment for homebuilders, contractors, and developers. Major structural losses stemming from recent regional disasters, including the Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires, require our industry to step up. We must help rebuild our communities while simultaneously navigating a rapidly evolving compliance landscape.