Lauren Bricker, assistant professor of architecture, stands in front of the Fox Theater in Pomona, a cross between Zig Zag and Streamline modern styles.

Within a month of purchasing the celebrated Maslon House, its new owners demolished the famed Rancho Mirage home designed by influential architect Richard Neutra, whose works have slowly disappeared.

A master of modernism, Neutra helped define Southern California's architectural style by blurring the line between what is indoor and outdoor through extensive use of glass, metal and stucco.

The loss of such a landmark sent shockwaves through architectural circles, alarming architectural historian Lauren Bricker and other preservationists.

"We need to make sure important works like the Maslon House aren't lost again," says Bricker, assistant professor of architecture at Cal Poly Pomona.

While many lament the loss, Bricker is in the unique position of having the opportunity to help bring about changes and protect other architectural works of note.

Bricker is vice chair of California's Historical Resources Commission (HRC), appointed to the position in 2001 by Gov. Gray Davis. As an HRC member, Bricker reviews applications for listing historic properties on the National Register of Historic Places, the California Register of Historical Resources and for designation as a California Registered Historical Landmark and/or a California Point of Historical Interest. These designations and listings help protect the properties from the Maslon fate.

Rancho Mirage may seem far from the university, but many noteworthy examples of architecture and landscape are close at hand, such as Euclid Avenue's dense, tree lined median in Ontario.

"People have a lot of preconceived notions of what makes something worthy of historical designation," Bricker says. "It doesn't need to be old or owned by someone famous. In the case of Euclid Avenue, even landscape can become a symbol of a time period."

Bricker's work can be surprisingly political. Among the latest issues for the HRC is its designation of Azusa's drive-in theater-an icon of mid-century car culture along Route 66-as a California Historical Resource. The decision incensed the drive-in's owners, who had planned to raze the dilapidated space to make way for school buildings.

"It is a lot of work, but very satisfying and endlessly stimulating," Bricker says. "Architecture is a direct, physical connection with the past. Significant architectural monuments are an integral part of our historical and cultural heritage. So preserving it is a responsibility we have to the past, present and future."