RISING FROM ASHES
ALTADENA, CALIFORNIA

COMPETITION ENTRY

Rising from Ashes explores physical and spiritual healing for the community of Altadena, which in January 2025 endured one of the worst natural disasters in California’s recent history.

The site sits in the path of wildfire and the thermal downdrafts that sweep down from the San Gabriel Mountains to the east. The design shelters itself from these forces while reaching west, physically and spiritually, toward the Pacific Ocean.

Three pavilions are set along a westerly axis that points toward the sea. The ocean represents peace, clarity and restoration. That idea begins with the protective seashell: the complex is conceived as three shells set into the earth, each fronted by a reflection pond that ties it back to the water.

The pavilions, dedicated to Public, Worship and Community, are connected by a great hall. Visitors enter each one across raised stones set in its reflection pond. A continuous grass meadow forms the crest of the hill and unites the buildings, while a meandering path links the pavilions to the memorial park below.