Ahead of Her Time

Morgan (R) and Hearst, from NY Times article cited above

A video by FEMA begins with the story of Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA. The pioneering female architect of the massive facility, Julia Morgan, herself has a fascinating story, having overcome discrimination and bias in her fight for respect in her profession.  But the video highlights one of the most profound features of her work: She wisely designed the Hearst project to withstand the earthquakes that frequent the state.  Julia Morgan had seen the devastation following the San Francisco quake and fire of 1906.  So she incorporated many forward-looking features into the structure that, as noted in the video, have spared the building significant damage from seismic events since that time.