Trial By Fire

“Your house is on fire”—five words no one ever wants to hear. I hurriedly hung up the phone. My wife and I rushed from work and were met by a blockade of 10 fire trucks, crowds of wordless neighbors, and snaking hoses. Luckily, no one was home, and the flames were extinguished by the time we arrived. As an architect, husband and father, I was burdened with the realization that my family and I had lost our home and everything it stood for. I embraced my devastated wife and promised her that I would transform our home from its tragic state into an opportunity for growth, which guided the design and rebuild.