Resilient Belongings is a flexible housing project designed to grow with its residents, supporting families across generations while honoring Altadena’s natural and cultural landscape. It fosters resilience through non-finito adaptable living spaces, shared outdoor areas, and climate-conscious design.

Resilient Belongings is a lasting scaffolding for connection, community, and comfort.

IMPACT OF THE EATON FIRES

In January 2025, the Eaton Fire devastated Altadena, destroying over 6,000 homes and displacing families across its close-knit foothill community. Known for its deep roots and multigenerational ties, Altadena has rallied together in resilience, with neighbors and local organizations working to support recovery and preserve the community’s spirit.

Through the Italian concept of non-finito, spaces are designed with future adaptability in mind. Shared outdoor patios are

Envisioned to transform into extra bedrooms or flexible

Mixed-use areas as the family’s needs evolve.

At its core, the home is a 2-bedroom, 3-bathroom residence with one ADU, designed to expand into a 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom home with two ADUs as family needs grow.

MEET THE PERRY FAMILY

A multi-generational Black family who have lived in Altadena since their grandmother, Pauline, purchased it in the 1950s as a single Black woman- a remarkable achievement for that time.

They lost their home, along with two duplexes on the property that housed cousins and extended family.

What started as a home for a single woman, quickly became a family compound.

shared - enduring - multigenerational - grounding - adaptive -

How can the home be designed to grow with the family?

Through the principles of non-finito, the home becomes a living scaffolding, designed to grow and transform with the family.

STORING AND DISPLAYING MEANINGFUL OBJECTS

Objects that have deep meaning or value can be displayed in various places built-in gallery cases around the house.

One specific box is designed to house important documents, objects and papers in case of emergency.

In the event of a fire, these display cases are designed to pop out from the wall for quick removal, allowing them to be easily evacuated and preserved.

FLEXIBLE LIVING AND COMMUNITY WELL-BEING

Turning the garage into a more frequently used living room space with the option to open the space up to the surrounding community

It can shift to the needs of the family over time.

It can be a garage, a living room, a community gathering space etc.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Comfortable, familiar, and warm materials are used to create a space where families genuinely feel a sense of belonging.

Raised garden beds foster an emotional connection to the home before it has fully adapted and developed, creating a sense of familiarity and comfort within a new space.

LANDSCAPING STRATEGY

By incorporating fire-resilient, drought-tolerant plants spaced at least five feet from the home, along with protected green enclosures inside, the design offers a much-needed sense of nature and calm, while prioritizing safety.

Through utilizing the sensorial qualities of plants, the space heals its inhabitants through aroma and sound therapy