In 1994, Northridge, California, was struck by a 6.7 magnitude earthquake, which caused extensive damage to the area. KPFF’s Structural Engineers were among the first responders who arrived to assess the damage and develop plans for rebuilding the community. KPFF’s response to the quake is considered a crucial moment in our history, and many employees credit it as a turning point in the company’s success.
Last summer, as the 30th anniversary of the earthquake was approaching, and with several retirements on the horizon, we decided to preserve the stories related to the event. What began as an update to a few slides turned into a full documentary. Scope creep at is finest.
With the Hollywood strikes ongoing, we enlisted the help of a striking television writer to help tell our story. His availability allowed us to complete the documentary in only a few weeks, leaving me and the rest of the marketing team fully available support our office with proposals and other marketing tasks.
Initially, there was some hesitation from the participants, but once in front of the camera, the stories flowed easily. “It really bonded us to work as a team,” reflects Susan Crichton. From Joe Stewart quarterbacking calls from owners and clients, to Juan Hinds-Rico entertaining employees from out-of-town, we worked together to accomplish the tasks at hand.
Although the most meme-able moment was Mike Dygean claiming “we don’t know sh–” when it came to facing the disaster head-on (yes, we already have a gif), Ramzi Hodali had perhaps the most inspiring reflection of the time: “I would say what we do matters. We’re here to save lives…create safe buildings.”
The documentary was first shown at the 2023 Fall LAS Basecamp, KPFF’s New Hire Orientation. Later, it was screened at a “World Premiere” party for the entire LAS staff on January 16, 2024, a day before the 30th Anniversary of the quake. The full documentary was made available to the public on January 17, 2024. “I get chills every time I watch it,” Joe Stewart shared. “My wife loved it.” You can watch the complete documentary by clicking here.
