Credits
From Cory Buckner, Architect
After the Woolsey Fire of 2018 burned my Malibu house for a second time, I was faced with the decision to rebuild the main house. Our fireproof studio built 10 years ago below the main house survived the fire intact. I had purchased the property as a single woman in 1976, falling in love with the views of the ocean to the south and the majestic Boney Ridge Mountain to the north. Even though I would be doing it alone without my late husband's help, I felt it was worth the effort financially. The insurance settlement did not allow me the luxury of hiring a contractor, if I wanted to build a house of the same square footage, so – this time - I would be the client, architect, and contractor.
There was no question that the material to use on my fire rebuild would be metal siding with a fireproof underlayment of Densglas. It worked on the studio and could potentially work to save the main house the next time a fire comes through.
Construction began in January of 2020. Three months later Covid hit but despite all the delays with labor and materials, the house was completed in September of 2021.
As the end of construction approached and I spent more time living primitively in the house, the reward of the long rebuild process became clear. To wake in the morning and see Boney Ridge turn a rosy glow and watch the large ships pass by on the sea was something I realized I missed and that fed my soul. There is no doubt that the property will burn again but this time I hope the house should withstand the fiery assault.
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