In the 1940s, architect Gregory Ain designed one of the first Modernist neighborhoods in America, in Altadena, California. Called the Park Planned Homes, it was a community of 28 single-story homes laid out in a cul-de-sac and utilizing shared green spaces be…
L.A. Fires Claim Early Modernist Neighborhood
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The so-called 'progressive' experiment of the 1940s, Park Planned Homes in Altadena, envisioned by Gregory Ain, has been wiped out by wildfires. This event highlights the impracticality and failure of early modernist architecture to withstand real-world challenges such as natural disasters. It prompts a reflection on the importance of traditional building methods that have stood the test of time and a closer examination of environmentalist policies that may hinder effective land and forest management.
A tragic wildfire has razed the pioneering Park Planned Homes in Altadena, a testament to Gregory Ain's vision of communal living and modernist design from the 1940s. This loss not only represents a tangible loss of historical architecture but underscores the urgent need for addressing climate change, which is increasingly threatening our cultural heritage and necessitates bold action and innovative urban planning to preserve our communities.