WHITMAN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

Marc also designs with the acknowledgement that we live and work in an area where wildfires are a reality. “We’ve always built with fire in mind,” he said. That was a true trial-by-fire in December 2017, when the massive Thomas Fire raged through Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. “We didn’t lose one of the houses we built,” Marc said. “One home had flames coming right up to the house, but because the house was fire-safe, it didn’t burn.” Most houses, he added, burn from the roof down: “The vents, the roofing material,” he said. “So we’re very keen on making sure that fire doesn’t have a chance of coming to the attic area.” Landscaping, too, is an important aspect. “Some of the houses that burned had flammable trees right up against the house,” he pointed out.

 

Between the devastation that the Thomas Fire caused and new, stricter building codes, folks looking to rebuild their homes had their work cut out for them. But having worked in the area for more than a quarter-century, Marc and his team understand how to get through the complicated permitting process. “We have three Thomas Fire rebuilds, and we’ve gotten the permits on all of them,” Marc said. “We have a good understanding of the process, a good relationship with the city in getting those permits.”