{"id":58116,"date":"2026-06-23T11:57:54","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T15:57:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adsknews.autodesk.com\/?post_type=stories&p=58116"},"modified":"2026-06-23T12:04:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T16:04:49","slug":"from-vision-to-foundation-progress-on-the-ground-in-altadena","status":"publish","type":"stories","link":"https:\/\/adsknews.autodesk.com\/en\/stories\/from-vision-to-foundation-progress-on-the-ground-in-altadena\/","title":{"rendered":"From vision to foundation: progress on the ground in Altadena"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A check-in from the Foothill Catalog Foundation’s March site visit.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

The Lewis stood framed against the Altadena sky as we surveyed the first Foothill Catalog construction site nearing completion on March 5, its structure taking shape exactly as it appeared in our catalog renderings months earlier. <\/span>Across Altadena, families were pacing lots where their future homes will soon rise. Cal Poly Pomona architecture students were hard at work volunteering on the latest Habitat for Humanity build site. The catalog designs we had developed as line drawings pinned to living room walls had transformed into lumber, concrete foundations, and the steady rhythm of construction crews at work.<\/p>\n

Rebuilding at pace in a region under pressure<\/h3>\n

Across Los Angeles County, more than 2,600 residential permits<\/a> have been issued between the Pacific Palisades and Altadena since the January 2025 fires<\/a>, representing roughly one permit for every five of the nearly 13,000 homes lost. According to a McKinsey analysis<\/a>, Los Angeles would need to sustain an average peak rebuilding rate of 160 homes completed per month for roughly two years to rebuild half of the homes destroyed.  <\/span>The first Foothill Catalog home, the Lewis model<\/a> built for the Wood family<\/a> in partnership with Habitat for Humanity San Gabriel Valley, represents the beginning of a growing movement that cannot be fully understood through statistics alone. Standing on that site in early March, we could see proof of what happens when design clarity meets coordinated execution.  <\/span>The Foothill Catalog has now grown to contain over fifty pre-approved designs. Site-specific permitting is accelerating as many of them are immediately put to use with Altadena families. A collection of model homes will soon showcase the architectural variety that defines Altadena: the Elizabeth, a Tudor-style design; the Lexington, a three-bedroom craftsman; La Solana, a Spanish revival. Each one built to Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone standards, all-electric, and designed to be both affordable and replicable. <\/span><\/p>\n