Over the past few weeks, I’ve had in-depth conversations with property owners who have suffered great losses in the devastating Thomas Fire and have come to my firm for assistance in restoring their property and designing a new home. It’s been a humbling and deeply inspiring experience and I’m simply awed by the strength and resilience I’ve witnessed in these families.
There is absolutely no softening the significant physical, mental and emotional impact of losing a home, nor the challenge of evacuation, relocation, and rebuilding after a fire. Period. There is, however, as I’ve experienced in these discussions, some hope and possibility, some silver linings in the clouds of smoke and ashes.
There is absolutely no softening the significant physical, mental and emotional impact of losing a home, nor the challenge of evacuation, relocation, and rebuilding after a fire. Period. There is, however, as I’ve experienced in these discussions, some hope and possibility, some silver linings in the clouds of smoke and ashes.
 | While there will never be a way to make up for the loss, building a home from the ground up is a privilege very few people get to experience in their lifetime. It’s an opportunity to create a space that is expertly designed and built for the way one lives versus living into an existing framework and conforming one's life around it. |
As I meet with homeowners who have been affected, our discussions most often begin with what was and their personal story of loss. There is an understandable heaviness from the grief and a natural overwhelm that accompanies this new journey home. However, as the discussion progresses, we move into a more illuminated sense of space and possibility. We begin to explore what can be, the opportunities for creating a space that is uniquely suited to them and truly reflective of their life and style.
Here are a few examples of talking points that I typically include in my initial conversations with clients. Whether you’re a property owner or designer, I hope you’ll find these points useful in your design discussions to help to identify and give body to the opportunities and possibilities.
Here are a few examples of talking points that I typically include in my initial conversations with clients. Whether you’re a property owner or designer, I hope you’ll find these points useful in your design discussions to help to identify and give body to the opportunities and possibilities.
- What did you like about the house? What felt good? What will you miss?
- What did you dislike about the house? What felt funky or off?
- Did you like the orientation of the home on the lot?
- Did the home make the most of the views available on the site?
- Did you like the layout of the home? Did the spaces suit your needs?
- Did the home have enough bedrooms? Too many? Bathrooms? Storage?
- How was the flow from one space to another?
- Did the home have enough natural light? Did it feel spacious or tight?
- How did the indoor and outdoor space interact? Was there a connection?
- What do you dream about? What have you always wanted in your home that you never got around to or maybe never imagined you could have?
William Growdon is an architect living and practicing architecture in Ventura. With more than 30 years experience in architecture, design and building -- William has designed and directed hundreds of structural projects, big and small, throughout California. William is the owner and principal of studioDIG architects, a full service architecture and design firm specializing in modern architecture with minimal environmental impact. Learn more at studioDIG.com or call 805.766.9600.
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