On June 29th, 2015, some children in a Long Beach neighborhood decided to get an early start on their Independence Day celebration by shooting off some fireworks into the sky. One of these fireworks landed on the roof of a nearby neighborhood’s home—a home that was built at a time when wood shingle roofs were a popular feature. The smoldering firework heated the roof until it ignited. Since the homeowners were both at work at the time, no one was home to notice the smoke or the flames that soon spread into the attic of the upper floor. By the time a golfer playing on the adjacent golf course saw the flames and reported them, the fire had engulfed the entire roof.
A few weeks after the fire, the Long Beach homeowners contacted us. They were concerned that their insurance company was dragging its feet, and they were disappointed with the settlement they had been offered. They wanted our help to document the house that had been lost, in order to give them the “ammunition” they would need to counter their insurance company’s settlement offer.
We gladly agreed to help the Long Beach couple, and, given what they had been through, and seeing how graciously they dealt with the neighborhood children who had started the fire, we moved their job to the front of the line.
We painstakingly measured and referenced old family photos to recreate the plan of their home as it had previously existed. After the documentation was completed, we received a call from the client stating that there was suddenly renewed interest in their home by the insurance company. In the case of these clients, hiring an architect might literally pay off, by getting them a larger insurance settlement. Even if they don’t receive any additional compensation, our clients stated they were extremely happy with the work we did and were very complimentary, even calling us “angels.”
The work we do as architects in Long Beach is always changing, and that’s one of the reasons we enjoy what we do so much. One day we can be designing a commercial space for a first time business owner, and the next day we can be designing a remodel, or recreating a much-loved family home, like we did for these Long Beach clients.
If you have a project, whether commercial or residential, that is in need of an experienced architect, give us a call or contact us through our website. We’d love to discuss your project with you and answer any questions you may have.
