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Documenting & Disassembling an NHL: Hazard Response for the Wayfarers Chapel

Completed in 1951 on the Portuguese Bend of Rancho Palose Verdes, Wayfarers Chapel is an exceptional example of postwar organic ecclesiastical architecture and a seminal work of architect and landscape designer Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr. While originally identified in the 1950s, the Portuguese Bend landslide had been relatively slow, just a few inches per year. However, in 2023, the landslide began to move at an unprecedented and alarming rate, causing the chapel’s glass and stone cladding to crack, and the earth to buckle underneath it. By early 2024, it was clear to Chapel leadership that the building would need to be moved offsite to save it from an impending natural disaster.

This program will focus on the process for documenting and disassembling the National Historic Landmark in the midst of the devastating and ongoing land movement plaguing the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

Katie Horak, Principal
Architectural Resources Group

Katie is a Los Angeles-area native and Principal in ARG’s Los Angeles office. She has nearly twenty years experience in the field of historic resource management in both the public and private sectors. Katie is a recognized leader in the industry, with expertise in policies related to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Secretary of the Interior’s Standards compliance, and provides strategic guidance regarding project approvals, entitlements, and outreach/consensus building.

Liz MacLean, AIA, Principal
Architectural Resources Group

Liz is an architect and Principal in ARG’s Los Angeles office known for her meticulous attention to detail and unwavering commitment to design excellence. Her wide range of skill sets includes all stages of design, from overall master planning to the nuances of interior design. Clients rely on Liz to help them navigate complex projects that combine research, new construction, and historic preservation, and her nuanced approach results in timeless architectural designs, seamlessly blending old and new elements. Her dedication to creative collaborations is evident in the success of her projects.

Evanne St. Charles
Architectural Resources Group

Evanne is an Architectural Historian and Preservation Planner in ARG’s Los Angeles office with over ten years of experience in historic resource management. She has managed and contributed to a range of historic preservation projects, including historic structure reports, landmark nominations, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance documentation, Mills Act program administration, and federal historic preservation tax credit applications. Evanne is also actively involved with the Association for Preservation Technology International (APT) as a co-chair of the APT’s Technical Committee on Sustainable Preservation.

All photos courtesy Architectural Resources Group.

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