Paradise Reimagined

Paradise, California was the living embodiment of its name. It was surrounded by miles of beautiful forest, mountain streams and clean air. It was just the place to unplug, refresh and relax in one of the most scenic locations in California. All of that picturesque beauty went up in flames during the Camp Fire in November 2018.

For Paradise, this fire devastated not only their property, but their community and the future of the residents for generations to come. It was complete and total devastation. The Camp Fire has gone down as the worst wildfire since the Cloquet fire in 1918, and is on the global record as one of the deadliest fires in history.

With the help of Cal Poly College of Architecture & Environmental Design, you will see Paradise reimagined and the scenic community rise from the ashes of devastation. Students traveled to Paradise earlier this year and spent time in the region and with community members to better understand their needs and what their vision for the future was. Led by Stacey White, Cal Poly faculty and lecturer in the architecture school, the students embarked on a design and rebuilding plan for Paradise that focused on the vision of the residents to give them their community back.

On February 22nd, Cal Poly students met with the residents of Paradise in Chico to present their initial ideas and get feedback from the community. The students presented 36 projects for review. The students will take this information back to Cal Poly and refine those projects down from 36 to 20 final projects. The groups will meet again in April to discuss and refine the final 20. The final projects will then be submitted to the community of Paradise in June for community approval.

The architecture students from Cal Poly are truly giving back to the residents of Paradise and the state of California in ways that just cannot be measured in dollars and cents. These students embody the spirit of California and the architecture profession.  

From the ADG Jobsite

We designed the furniture and covered window panels depicting familiar California scenes at the Farmer’s Insurance Agency in Granada Hills…

by Gerald Olesker, CEO, ADG Lighting