This project is a story of resilience, community, and rebirth. After the devastating 2018 Woolsey Fire destroyed most of the cherished Camp Hess Kramer, the Wilshire Boulevard Temple embarked on an ambitious redevelopment to rebuild this vital community institution from the ashes.¹ The project was not merely a replacement of buildings, but an act of healing—recreating a place of joy, friendship, and cultural connection for generations to come.⁹

The scale of the undertaking was immense, involving the master planning and design of what is essentially a small village. Nestled in a steep, narrow Malibu canyon, the 187-acre site presented numerous environmental and regulatory challenges.¹ The redevelopment included 28 new buildings, featuring a 450-seat dining hall, a gymnasium, a pool house, conference spaces, and cabin accommodations for 400 campers and staff. The design had to be both sensitive to its beautiful natural setting and robust enough to meet the stringent requirements of building in a high-fire-hazard area.

Praxis's principal, Seth Dunn, served in a dual leadership role as both Project Manager and Project Architect on the eight-person team while at Siegel & Strain Architects.¹ He guided the effort from Schematic Design through Construction Documents, focusing on the complex coordination of consultants across multiple buildings and overseeing the overall site development.¹ This experience demonstrates Praxis's capacity to manage large-scale, technically demanding projects while also facilitating the sensitive, community-focused work of rebuilding cultural touchstones after a traumatic event.