Project by Yoyo Zihao Chen
This project proposes a multifunctional recovery farm situated beside the Rubio Wash debris basin in Altadena, CA, on the wildfire-demolished wildland-urban interface following the January 2025 Eaton Fire. Anchored by a biochar processing plant, the project transforms fire-damaged wood and sediment into regenerative fertilizer for pastures, croplands, and mountain forests. Program elements — including cowshed, sheep shed, farmer’s market, barn, and a fire cottage for both firefighter training and ecotourism — form an integrated cycle of ecological and social recovery. Building on Reyner Banham’s analysis of Los Angeles’ foothills, the scheme positions architecture as a replicable post-wildfire recovery model.
