Dean has volunteered with local organizations offering free advice to fire victims. Through “Ask an Architect” he’s answered questions on rebuilding options, insurance roadblocks, and whether custom or prefab makes more sense.
Dean explains, “I learned through the Pasadena chapter (AIA) that they had had formed this “Ask an Architect” and what they’re just trying to do is connect people with architects to get their questions answered and I needed to do something. I just couldn’t not do anything. And this was the first option that kind of appealed to me as a way of helping – I just needed to help.”
This program set up by AIA Pasadena & Foothill connects homeowners with experienced architects who have volunteered to talk with them and answer questions to help them move forward in their rebuilding process.
“There’s no single solution,” he notes. “Some people want to rebuild exactly what they had. Others want to rethink everything. Our job is to help them, no matter what they choose.”
Balancing Empathy with Expertise
His personal experience shaped the way Dean and our team approach rebuilding from the 2025 fires.
“It’s not just about square footage and finishes. People are rebuilding their sense of safety. They need someone who understands what they’ve lost—and what they want to recover.”
In many cases, homeowners don’t know where to begin. Some are underinsured. Others are overwhelmed by permitting hurdles or unsure whether they want to return to the same site. Dean Larkin Design offers early-stage guidance that balances compassion with clarity.
From connecting clients with tree assessment companies like Altadena Green, to navigating the complexities of LA County’s “like-for-like” rebuilding policies, Ask an Architect and the firm are actively helping fire survivors map out realistic paths forward.
“People need to understand what’s possible within their insurance coverage and their timeline,” Dean says. “That first conversation is less about design and more about listening.”
Dean adds that sometimes they are unable to answer the questions, but can give the homeowners parameters that will allow them to find the answers for themselves. “They might ask, “Can I do this? And you’re like, I don’t know. Let’s see what information you need to gather to get an answer to that.”
Lack of information about the original structure makes planning for a rebuild harder, especially if the homeowner wants to rebuild exactly the same or stay within the 10% rule.
Dean explains, “Sometimes people think the city or the county they’re in has a lot more information than they do-like the layout and dimensions of the house. Often records with this information aren’t kept so people have to try to remember from pictures or surveys if they even have them. If there are records, they may be literally a hand drawn footprint with no dimensions depending on the age of the permit. And some of the Altadena houses go back into the 10s and 20s so they didn’t even have that. It’s just a piece of paper with a written description.”
Fire-Resilient Design from the Ground Up
As a result of the fires, Dean Larkin Design has placed an even stronger emphasis on fire-resilient strategies in every project. This includes ember-resistant vents, fire-rated exterior materials, enclosed eaves, and landscape designs that minimize ignition risk.
“We’ve always believed in designing for the environment. That means protecting homes from it, too,” Dean says. The firm doesn’t sacrifice beauty in pursuit of safety. Instead, the team sees fire resilience as a design opportunity—creating homes that are modern, refined, and engineered to endure.
Rebuilding as a Human-Centered Practice
For Dean Larkin Design, post-fire rebuilding is not a temporary pivot—it’s a continued commitment to designing with purpose. Every project now carries a deeper awareness of how fragile and essential “home” can be.
“When you rebuild for someone who’s lost everything, you’re not just designing a house,” Dean reflects. “You’re helping them reclaim their life.”
Ready to Talk About Rebuilding Your Home?
Over the coming weeks, we will be providing more helpful information about rebuilding after the 2025 LA Fires, so check back with us. Contact Dean Larkin Design for individual, thoughtful rebuilding support and design.
About Dean Larkin Design
Dean Larkin Design was established in Los Angeles in 1999. This modern architecture firm maximizes the intrinsic potential of a location while meeting each client’s specific lifestyle, business or institutional needs. Dean Larkin is very familiar with both historical and contemporary homes in So Cal and the entire Los Angeles area, and the firm endeavors to achieve a complexity that is multi-layered with an effortless elegance. For a design that is modern and innovative, unlocks your location’s innate potential by making specific use of light, views and more, and is uniquely designed for the way you live, contact Dean Larkin for a consultation.
