From chaos "an endless work party of
jubilation": can architects heal a scorched and scarred San Diego?
At
the close of October, four wildfires–Cedar, Paradise, Otay and
Roblar–terrorized San Diego County. From the tight-knit community of Scripps
Ranch to the historic mountain town of Julian, the fires consumed more than
380,000 acres, over 2300 residences, 71 mobile homes and caused 16 deaths.
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> The structural damage is estimated at
close to $900 billion dollars; the personal cost is incalculable.
Speaking
with Mike Asaro, a principal of the San Diego-based Architects Delawie Wilkes
Rodrigues Barker, about the role of architects in rebuilding and healing the
communities fractured by the wildfires, it is clear that architects can help,
as professionals and community members, by educating people about the design
and construction process. In the Scripps Ranch neighborhood, 350 houses were
destroyed. A long-time resident,
Asaro has sought to make sense of the logistics of rebuilding and maneuvering
through the permitting and contracting process for residents. “Being an
architect, it was natural to help people understand what it means to rebuild,”
Asaro remarked.
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Immediately
after the fires, Asaro, working with his brother and Brian Mooney of Mooney
Associates who are both Scripps Ranch residents, formulated near, mid-term and
long-term goals for homeowners’ rebuilding plan. The group covered diverse
topics: decision points from working singularly or pool group resources,
defining construction terminology, elucidating the building permit process and
project delivery methodology: traditional design-bid-build, design-build, or
negotiated contract. Immediate objectives encompassed clean-up, demolition, and
safety assessment. Mid-term goals focused on cost-effective rebuilding of the
community. Long-term goals included issues of brush management or early warning
systems. Asaro observed: "Scripps Ranch was developed within an existing
Eucalyptus Forest. We need to examine if that makes sense to repeat".
In
Santa Ysabel, artist James Hubbell and his wife Anne lost their house, studio
and all personal effects. Furthermore, the conflagration destroyed over 300
paintings, models, sculptures and stained glass windows that James had crafted.
The Hubbells invested 45 years personally and artistically into the site. Sadly
the complex was uninsured, despite this great loss the Hubbells as so many
other San Diegans devastated by the wildfires intend to rebuild.
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> In an open letter from the Hubbells’
friends was a firm belief in the capacity of art and architecture to transcend
the present desolation. "The phoenix now sits without wings, deep in the
ashes, but it can and will fly if we join together to make a place dedicated to
encouraging people to build their dreams for a better future. In that place, guided
by James’ vision, we can help build beauty and peace together within the
patterns of nature where we all belong".
Hubbell
and Hubbell, the firm run by James and his son, architect Drew L. Hubbell,
marry art and architecture with a visionary hope, or expectation, that
integrating design with nature–beautiful and at times terrible–promotes healing
and harmony.
Blending
the practicality of architecture with the beauty of art and nature into
"soul-stirring", cost and energy-efficient structures might seem
noble yet unattainable until one reviews the catalog of Hubbell projects:
residences, schools, chapels, sculptures and mosaics. The firm’s current
projects include the energy-efficient, straw-bale Friends Center and Tijuana’s
Pacific Rim Park, scheduled to open in July 2004.
Even
as the Hubbells continue to create thoughtful, organically built environments
across San Diego County, in many respects the fires have accelerated the
process of transforming their property into an artistic refuge. Through their non-profit
Ilan-Lael Foundation and with donations, the Hubbells strive to rebuild the
property into an artists’ sanctuary in addition to placing the land in trust.
Currently volunteers can participate in work parties to clear the fire damage.
Artistry
and imagination can energize devastated communities; professional guidance can
inform us about the complex logistics of rebuilding. Architects with their
knowledge and vision might help San Diego to heal itself.
For more information about Hubbell and Hubbell, their
rebuilding efforts, check their website: www.hubbellandhubbell.com/home.htm.
For more information about Scripps Ranch, check:
href="http://www.scrippsranch.org/">www.scrippsranch.org.
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