Introduction

As the Builder, I take great pride in the team I assemble and the work we deliver. The project had a fantastic team. This article is about a unique property we built for an exceptional client. And, I will say that the homeowners were the most valuable team member we had on the project. It was a pleasure to work with this client and deliver an amazing property.

This all started with a major demolition in Three Arch Bay, a private community on the Pacific Ocean that is an enclave of Laguna Beach, CA. Just getting the permits is multi-layered and requires expertise with the Coastal Commission, The City of Laguna Beach, and the Three Arch Bay HOA. Benjamin Stevens was the architect and did a great job threading the needle for all the permit requirements.  More importantly, when the design for the project changed, he understood how NOT to change anything that would reopen the permitting resubmittal, which would drastically delay the project.

Demolition was very tricky on this project. Three Arch Bay has narrow roads, strict parking regulations, with little area to stock material and debris.

Getting Started

During demolition phase, the subcontractors could smell something moldy and musty as we demolished the inside front of the home. Coast Concrete was instrumental in identifying the problem. The retaining wall below the entry of the home had a drainage and water proofing problem on the outside. The only solution was a deep excavation on the street side of the retaining wall and completely rebuild the drainage system and water proofing system. A substantial amount of soil was removed to expose the failed sub-drainage and waterproofing system. Trench shoring was installed, a new drainage system with a new waterproofing system was installed, and tested before back filling the excavation.

A Really Great Room

This house has a huge great room that includes the kitchen, dinning room, and a sitting area with a that has a fantastic view of Catalina Island and the Pacific Ocean. But, there was an existing column in the in the middle of it all and just could not stay. Below is a photo with a conceptual placement of where that column was.

The finished space of this room is 34' deep from the dining room across the kitchen and 24' wide at the widest portion of the room. This area covers over 1,000 sqft. The column had to go. However, most of the solutions would require revising the roofline in order to fit steel beams in that would support the span. All of our permits were in place and a change in the roofline would mean going back to the permitting, design review, and approval process. It was a non-starter. The architect, structural engineer (South County Engineering), the framer (GIN Construction), and O’Grady Homes took extensive measures and creativity to resolve this problem. The homeowners and designer loved the solution and results.

Take a close look at the ceiling above the entry.  Above the dining room the ceiling slopes at 55 degrees while above the entry is 45 degrees and the great room is 65 degrees. The intersection of those angles all created different structural loads, making this a complex problem to solve.

The solution was an 18" tall steel I-beam that is 28' long and the columns on each end had to be upgraded from 4" to 8" steel columns for the  larger loads, resulting in a different footing and installation solution. The new beam detail also functioned as a design element to define the dinning area and entry. It took a lot of creative thinking, but the finished result is a really great room.

Doors

Every door on this property makes a statement. All interior doors are 2 ¼” rift cut white oak and solid core custom doors. The feel of a solid door and the privacy once the door is closed makes a statement.

Many of the interior doors are pocketing doors with soft open/close hardware. The goal was to conceal doors in specific areas and have a user-friendly space. OC Style & Doors custom made these very large doors and we used heavy duty precision hardware so that the doors are effortless to operate. The opening/closing mechanisms are so cool.

The exterior motorized sliding glass doors on both floors add to the cool factor  Ultimate Installz did an amazing job on the installation and motorization of these doors. Push a button and the doors silently open and disappear into a pocket.

Power and Technology

This house can always be on. The power management uses solar, solar battery storage, generator, and city power to make sure this house is never down. The homeowner had a lot of involvement and had a fair bit of experience on the subject. The team that made all of this happen included Sheets Contracting for all the electrical, Technical Comfort on controlling the system, and Generac for the battery/energy storage solutions and generator.

Flooring

The Great Room and Entry had to make a statement of clean, open, and spacious. The flooring can make or break a space. We worked with Warren Christopher Hardwood for the flooring selection, layout, and installation. The flooring is a 12" wide brushed white oak with a very subtle stain that compliments the kitchen. The layout runs perpendicular to the front door, creating very long boards that make the room feel even larger. The pattern is continued in the same direction through each level.

This article could continue in great lengths, especially since I am so proud of the finished project and the team.  Below is a list of key partners and products used on this project.