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Blog archive

May 2025

April 2025

March 2025

About Senior Solutions
03/28/2025

Building a Bridge With Journey House, A Home Base for Former Foster Youth
03/28/2025

Come for the Knitting, Stay for the Conversation... and the Cookies
03/28/2025

Creating Safe and Smart Spaces with Home Technology
03/28/2025

Finding Joy in My Role on The Pasadena Village Board
03/28/2025

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!
03/28/2025

Managing Anxiety
03/28/2025

Message from Our President: Keeping Pasadena Village Strong Together
03/28/2025

My Favorite Easter Gift
03/28/2025

The Hidden History of Black Women in WWII
03/28/2025

Urinary Tract Infection – Watch Out!
03/28/2025

Volunteer Coordinator and Blade-Runner
03/28/2025

Continuing Commitment to Combating Racism
03/26/2025

Goodbye and Keep Cold by Robert Frost
03/13/2025

What The Living Do by Marie Howe
03/13/2025

Racism is Not Genetic
03/11/2025

Bill Gould, The First
03/07/2025

THIS IS A CHAPTER, NOT MY WHOLE STORY
03/07/2025

Dramatic Flair: Villagers Share their Digital Art
03/03/2025

Empowering Senior LGBTQ+ Caregivers
03/03/2025

A Life Never Anticipated
03/02/2025

Eaton Fire Changes Life
03/02/2025

February 2025

Commemorating Black History Month 2025
02/28/2025

Transportation at the Pasadena Village
02/28/2025

A Look at Proposition 19
02/27/2025

Behind the Scenes: Understanding the Pasadena Village Board and Its Role
02/27/2025

Beyond and Within the Village: The Power of One
02/27/2025

Celebrating Black Voices
02/27/2025

Creatively Supporting Our Village Community
02/27/2025

Decluttering: More Than The Name Implies
02/27/2025

Hidden Gems of Forest Lawn Museum
02/27/2025

LA River Walk
02/27/2025

Message from the President
02/27/2025

Phoenix Rising
02/27/2025

1619 Conversations with West African Art
02/25/2025

The Party Line
02/24/2025

Bluebird by Charles Bukowski
02/17/2025

Dreams by Langston Hughes
02/17/2025

Haiku - Four by Fritzie
02/17/2025

Haikus - Nine by Virginia
02/17/2025

Wind and Fire
02/17/2025

Partnerships Amplify Relief Efforts
02/07/2025

Another Community Giving Back
02/05/2025

Diary of Disaster Response
02/05/2025

Eaton Fire: A Community United in Loss and Recovery
02/05/2025

Healing Powers of Creative Energy
02/05/2025

Living the Mission
02/05/2025

Message from the President: Honoring Black History Month
02/05/2025

Surviving and Thriving: Elder Health Considerations After the Fires
02/05/2025

Treasure Hunting in The Ashes
02/05/2025

Villager's Stories
02/05/2025

A Beginning of Healing
02/03/2025

Hectic Evacuation From Eaton Canyon Fire
02/02/2025

Hurricanes and Fires are Different Monsters
02/02/2025

January 2025

Ask an Architect

By Karen Bagnard
Posted: 05/02/2025
Tags: karen bagnard, newsletter may 2025

There was an impressive turnout at the Village’s event presenting the American Institute of Architecture’s program for members of the foothill communities who were burned out in the Eaton Fire. This event, hosted by Pasadena Village, was attended by Villagers as well as members of our community.

Kirstyn Booneau, a partner of the 67-year-old Pasadena architectural firm, PBWS Architecture, was the presenter. With clarity, she was able to organize the various aspects of a rebuild using slides and graphs.  She knew full-well this is a complex process that we are all challenged with.  

The Q&A period was excellent with many important questions about insurance, funding, tax assessment and very unique individual situations, Kirstyn was able to direct the participant to the agency that could answer questions outside of her realm of expertise.

The program that Ask An Architect is offering is invaluable to those of us who have never even considered building from the ground up. Doing this after such a devastating fire is even more complicated. The program offers the help of an architect to navigate the process, avoid common pitfalls and offer the opportunity to consider all viable options for a rebuild.

Wayne April was the Villager who spotted information about this program and sent it out to all the Villagers who had lost homes. My daughter, Chelsea, was the first to register for the program and we have been working with a wonderful architect, Aaron Olko from the beginning.  

Villager Marlane Forsberg was the next one to reach out to learn more. “This program is excellent, and the presentation offered me even more considerations to look into. I am very happy with the architect who is working with me. He has spent time at my property to help me understand its unique features.”

Virgi Merriam also attended the program and found it very interesting. “The complex presentation was well-organized and made clear the various aspects of a rebuild, as well as areas of responsibility.”  She is looking forward to the slides so that she can share the information in greater depth with her husband, John, who is visually impaired.

There were five architects in attendance at this event, including Aaron Olko. Each one was fully engaged with participants asking questions after the program. 

Pasadena Village is working with the City of Pasadena to collaborate to offer another public presentation of this program. The American Institute of Architects Chapter offers one-on-one architect consultations for wildfire rebuilding. They also have a comprehensive Disaster Response Toolkit which maps out the typical phases of recovery and the architect’s roles in each. You can download the Toolkit from this site or request a free consultation through the “Ask an Architect” link.

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