May Sung
Architect; SUBU Design Architecture; subuda.com
When the evacuation order came, I was in denial about losing our home. The fire would have to burn through thousands from the Highlands before us, and I was sure that couldn’t happen. I didn’t grab my kids’ footprints, their artwork or my late father’s watch. My husband took a picture of me in the driveway, and I never thought it would be the last time I saw our home. Of all the projects I built in the Palisades, only one survived. My office was destroyed, too—twenty years wiped out in an instant. I want to see this community return with sustainable practices and prevention measures in place, but public agencies need to recognize that climate change is real. We can make beautiful buildings without being cookie cutter, but there will be fundamental changes to aesthetics, materials and landscaping.
Adam Hunter
Interior Designer; Adam Hunter Inc.; adamhunter.com
Like so many other residents of the Pacific Palisades, I experienced the anxiety and chaos of evacuation firsthand, not knowing if my home would survive. Fortunately, it did. My heart broke seeing the treasured spaces of my family, friends and clients lost. These are more than just structures, they’re the settings for lives, but this is an opportunity for the Palisades and Altadena to explore how we design for safety without losing beauty and character. I’ve been inspired to take action by founding LA CAN DO (Los Angeles Creatives Aid in Natural Disasters Organization; lacando.org), a non-profit dedicated to helping those displaced by the California wildfires. Our mission is to provide essential furnishings to families who have lost everything, helping them recreate spaces that feel like home again.
Caren Rideau
Kitchen Designer; Caren Rideau Kitchen Design Group; kitchendesigngroup.com
On the day of the fire, I vividly recall my office door open and sirens filling the air. I thought it was just another brush fire, but reality set in when I watched Gelson’s evacuate. I thought we’d be back by morning and didn’t take anything with me, but watching the news that night, I understood my showroom was gone. With increasing occurrences of unpredictable weather patterns, we cannot afford to be complacent. I’ve now learned the hard way that not all policies include coverage for natural disasters. As a renter for my business, I found myself without protection. Every situation is unique, but it’s imperative that we safeguard ourselves and our investments. This event has profoundly changed my outlook on life and only strengthened my resolve to rebuild and continue serving our community.
Shannon Wollack and Brittany Zwickl
Interior Designers; Studio Life/Style; studio-lifestyle.com
This is our community. These were the places we went to, and these are our clients and our friends. It’s been hard to bear witness to pure devastation and this kind of experience makes us take nothing for granted. Our possessions are more than material goods—they’re heirlooms, our stories, our histories—and a home provides a security that’s been completely rattled. The question now is, what’s next? Whether it’s a temporary or new permanent house, we want to help people get that sense of security again, especially families with children. We want to get them back on their feet and offer one-on-one attention for anyone who needs support. We’ve all seen the love in this community and this city, and it’s given us hope for what’s possible as we begin to rebuild.
Ken Ungar
Architect; Ken Ungar Architect; kenungararchitect.com
Most of my work over my thirty-year career in residential architecture has been in Pacific Palisades, in each and every neighborhood. My career grew up there, and I am heartbroken at the devastation—my heart goes out to every family who lost their home and sacred memories. In all likelihood, in excess of fifty homes that I designed have been lost to this disaster. But I see the resilience in people to rebuild their homes and their lives. Residents of Pacific Palisades love their community, and I see it coming back sooner than anybody would think, provided politicians don’t get in the way. I ask them to please let the builders, vendors, architects and tradespeople who are familiar with the Palisades do their jobs and bring the community back to life. I know we are up to the task.
Jenifer Porter
Interior Designer and Real Estate Agent; The House of Porter; thehouseofporter.com
As a fourth-generation Angeleno and lifelong westside resident, the devastation of the Palisades Fire hit close to home. The Palisades is where I watched my children grow—celebrating milestones at KI temple, Le Lycée Français and Fancy Feet. Fourth of Julys spent camped out on Sunset, athletic victories celebrated at Café Vida or Beech Street, dance recitals at Pali High. As a real estate agent and founder of The House of Porter, I’ve spent more than 25 years building, selling and designing homes in Brentwood and the Palisades, helping families and businesses craft spaces that reflect their stories and aspirations. Whether buying, building, furnishing, or renovating, my mission is to help people rebuild and create environments that honor their history and offer spaces they’ll love for years to come.
Tim Barber
Architect; Tim Barber Architects; timbarberarchitects.com
As a sustainably minded firm, we’ve always aimed to design homes that create positive and healing change for the environment, and this tragedy strengthens that resolve. We have already shifted to fire-resistant building materials, rooftop sprinklers and pool reservoirs, but we’re wondering how a reimagined Los Angeles can improve fire resiliency. Bury power lines? Remove gas lines from all replacement development? Limit the scale, density and materiality of new work? We can design not just net-zero new buildings, but buildings that generate more power than they use, and to stop climate change, we must stop burning fossil fuels. We owe it to our communities to build back better: safer, healthier and invested in the well-being of our neighbors and the planet.
Kathryn Ireland
Interior Designer; Kathryn M. Ireland Textiles & Design, kathrynireland.com
This is a huge wake up call for California. We’ve weathered many fires over the 35 years that I’ve been proud to call this great state my home, but nothing like this. The fires have never reached these larger urban areas—from my new home in Santa Monica, we had a front row viewing of the devastation—and there needs to be change. All building should have updated regulations, electrical companies must update their poles and wires and our tax dollars must be spent more responsibly. As citizens, we must all take part in our community and make sure that what Los Angeles experienced never happens again.
Daniel Shurinov
Architect; Bureau Namas Architecture; bureaunamas.com
Pacific Palisades has played a central role in the story of Bureau Namas, from my first project with my mentor Philip Vertoch to the founding of my practice. Over the years, we’ve designed homes that reflect this community’s unique blend of architectural charm, natural beauty and spirit. Having witnessed the devastation caused by the recent fires, the contrast between loss and resilience serves as a humbling reminder of the fragility of the spaces we build. This moment reaffirms our deep connection to this community and the responsibility we feel to help rebuild it by creating spaces that honor families' histories, preserve the community’s character and adapt to a changing environment.
Karyn Millet
Photographer; Karyn Millet Photography; karynmillet.com
On the night of the fire, we were waiting for friends evacuated from the Palisades to arrive and stay with us when we realized our area of Brentwood was next. No matter where we live, weather can put on us on alert—the beach and tsunamis, the hills and mudslides—and everyone is thinking of ways to increase safety. My hope is that people will find their way home again and rebuild in a unique way that keeps the Palisades charming. Our design and architecture community will be the cornerstone of what’s next. I’ve photographed dozens of projects in the Palisades and am offering those images to the homeowners for insurance purposes, but I also hope they are helpful for rebuilding and for memories.