From vision to foundation: progress on the ground in Altadena
Altadena’s Foothill Catalog Foundation reports progress on pre-approved home designs after the January 2025 fires, with over 50 models now available and the first completed home delivered to a family.
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The useful question is what changes for users, developers or buyers, and whether the announcement stays industry context or becomes something people can actually use.
On March 5, the Lewis model home stood framed against the Altadena sky, its construction matching earlier catalog renderings. Families walked the lots where their new homes would soon rise, while Cal Poly Pomona architecture students volunteered on a Habitat for Humanity build site. The transformation from digital designs to physical structures highlighted the catalog’s role in accelerating rebuilding efforts across Los Angeles County, where over 2,600 residential permits have been issued since January 2025.
A McKinsey analysis estimates Los Angeles must complete 160 homes per month for two years to rebuild half of the nearly 13,000 homes lost in the fires. The first Foothill Catalog home, the Lewis model built for the Wood family in partnership with Habitat for Humanity San Gabriel Valley, marks the start of a coordinated rebuilding movement. The catalog now includes over fifty pre-approved designs, with site-specific permitting accelerating as families select models tailored to Altadena’s needs.
The Foothill Catalog features architectural variety, including the Elizabeth (Tudor-style), Lexington (three-bedroom craftsman), and La Solana (Spanish revival). All designs meet Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone standards, are all-electric, and prioritize affordability and replicability. The catalog’s expansion reflects a shift toward standardized yet adaptable solutions for resilient rebuilding in fire-affected communities.
A new Autodesk video series, *Rediscovering Home–A Story of Altadena*, documents the rebuild lifecycle from design to construction. The first two episodes follow families, architects, and builders navigating the catalog model, illustrating how pre-approved designs transition from digital files to physical homes. Additional episodes will be released, offering insights into the catalog’s impact on disaster recovery and resilient design.