Support Altadena Architecture and Community Rebuilding after the Fire

The Park Planned Homes are a residential development designed in 1948 by modernist architect Gregory Ain in Altadena, California. Through elegant design, efficient construction methods, and deliberately inclusive marketing, Ain, working in collaboration with noted landscape architect Garrett Eckbo, cultivated a racially diverse, community-oriented neighborhood. The development stands as a clear expression of Ain’s progressive political commitments and his belief in architecture as a social instrument, capable of fostering equity, collectivity, and everyday beauty.

On January 7, 2025, the Eaton Canyon Fire destroyed twenty-one of the development’s twenty-eight exceptional mid-century homes. In response, residents and collaborators have organized an ambitious effort to rebuild the Park Planned Homes using Ain’s original designs, carefully adapted to incorporate contemporary fire-safety standards and updated technologies. Proceeds from the sale of this hat directly support that initiative. This fundraiser advances the work of a dedicated team of Park Planned residents, architects, and contractors who have joined together to provide historically faithful, modernized building plans to all families affected by the fire. Architectural services have been offered pro bono, while engineering services are being provided at significantly reduced cost as part of this community-led recovery. The group has begun working in partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works to permit these plans and is collaborating closely with individual households as they undertake the process of rebuilding.

This collective effort reflects the enduring ethos of Gregory Ain’s practice: a commitment to making beautiful, well-considered design as accessible and affordable as possible, and to advancing principles of equity, inclusion, and community through the built environment.