A Cautionary Tale About Being an Architect, Or a Firefighter

A lot to unpack in this LA Weekly story: A German architect built a $4 million dollar house on a $1 million dollar lot, and then it burned. A firefighter died fighting the blaze when the ceiling collapsed. The German architect faces manslaughter charges — he may or may not have cut corners in construction, leading to the ceiling collapse and the fire fighter’s death. He is on house arrest in his Los Angeles home — since repaired — until the trial. Meanwhile his visa has expired so he’s illegally in the country and also the firefighter’s widow is suing him for “despicable conduct.” One man is dead, one other man’s life is on hold and may end up in jail. For a house.

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