From the Ashes

When the Tea Fire swept through parts of Santa Barbara and Montecito in the fall of 2008, more than 200 properties were destroyed. Some homeowners cut their losses and moved on, but others vowed to rebuild. One, an artist, saw it as a chance to create something new where his home once stood. San Diego architects Hector and Pamela Magnus were intrigued by the possibilities. "We were looking for ways to rebuild faster and to help a building take the brunt of a fire," says Hector.