Pre-Approved Plans, Custom Homes & Smart Rebuilding for LA County
The rebuilding process following the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires has created an urgent need for housing solutions that are both efficient and responsive to the unique needs of each property owner. While pre-approved home plans have emerged as one strategy to accelerate rebuilding, they are not the right solution for every site or every family.
Join Alex Athenson, AIA, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Foothill Catalog Foundation, for an in-depth discussion exploring how pre-approved plans work, why many are never ultimately built, and the factors architects and homeowners should evaluate before selecting a design approach. Register here.
Topics include:
• How county pre-approved plans streamline permitting
• Why many pre-approved homes never move forward to construction
• Understanding construction costs and land value considerations
• When custom architecture creates greater long-term value
• Site-specific challenges that affect design decisions
• Manufactured housing as an alternative rebuilding strategy
• Why there is no one-size-fits-all approach to rebuilding after disaster
In addition to discussing the technical aspects of rebuilding, Alex will share how the Foothill Catalog Foundation has built a collaborative model that connects homeowners with architects, builders, and permitting resources to help families move from recovery to reconstruction.
Whether you're an architect, planner, builder, policymaker, or homeowner, this session offers practical insights into one of the most important rebuilding conversations facing Southern California today.