January 2026

Ask an Architect

By Karen Bagnard
Posted: 05/02/2025

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.