The wrong kind of new construction...

Just came across another home going up - this one in Montemalaga, PVE.  The home is perched on a expansive view lot, complete with tennis court, and replaces an older faux Mediterranean home.  The Irie Residence.

The Irie family purchased the original home, which was not a modest home like other tear downs, in early 2010 for $3.5M.  In fact, the original home (pictured below), was a 7,696 square foot, 7 bedroom, 8 bathroom home built in 1985.    Judging from the MLS listing description and photos, the home was in very good condition - not at all a tear down or "in need of TLC."

(Source: Google Maps)

 (Source: Google Maps)

(Source: MLS)


As you can see, the home site is quite large - 0.7 acres actually, and is purchased on a hill with some phenomenal views.

 (Source: MLS)

(Source: MLS)

Well, shortly after the family purchased the home, they hired Ashai Design to design a new Italian residence.   When I first saw the item on the Planning Commission agenda, I was excited.  Ashai has done some good work on the hill, with much of their work featured on this site.  But alas, this weekend I saw that this is not their finest work - in fact, quite the opposite.  I know and recognize this is still under construction, but so far, hard for me to see what could change that would redeem this home.  The architectural crime - aka the new home - is below:

 (Source: NJC)

(Source: NJC)

Where to even begin.  First, the color - mustard? Really? From the high res images, it looks like mustard colored stucco.  What about the window trim and the trim that demarcates the second floor? Too much.  And yes - I know the white elephant in the room - the "stone" tower.  The "stone" doesn't even look real - almost likes stone patterned wallpaper.  And how about the shape of the home? Very blockish and uninspired.

New home:

 (Source: Google Maps)

Original home:

(Source: MLS)


The footprint is so boring - in fact, I think the original home that they tore down was more interesting - I mean, check out the offset tower that faced the pool!  In fact, I think I like the old home more than this new monstrocity going up.  Is there even much of a difference between this home and this McMansion?

You tell me!  Is the PVE Art Jury asleep at the wheel here?

KEY STATS

Location: Montemalaga, PVE
Style: Italian (ish)
Year built: 2011
Architect: Ashai
Square footage: Unknown (but big!)
Lot size: 30,100 (126x202)

A few uncommented photos...

...have already blogged on this home...but took a couple of new shots this weekend.  So nice!

 (Source: NJC)

 (Source: NJC)

Celebrity in the house! err... Celebrity is a house! (Updated)

Unlike San Marino, Pasadena, Beverly Hills or Malbu, it is very rare to see Palos Verdes featured on the silver screen.  In fact, I can think of only a few movies or TV shows that are set or filmed on the Peninsula (The O.C. used a number of PVE homes to double as Newport Beach; Kevin Kline's 2001 film Life as a House was filmed at the former Marineland site in RPV, which is now the Terranea Resort, but in the film it was a body double for Laguna Beach).  Part of the reason is that the cities on the Peninsula have very strict filming restrictions (mainly PVE and RH).  So when a home or part of the Peninsula is caught on film, its a rare treat!

This home was filmed in the the critically acclaimed (hah!) 2006 comedy Big Momma's House 2, starring Martin Lawrence.

(Source: NJC)

(Source: Ashai)

Designed by Ashai in 2004, the home measures a comfortable 6,046 square feet and sits on a flat, hilltop 0.4 acre lot.  In the movie, it was the home of the CEO of an IT company that was under FBI investigation by Martin Lawrence's undercover character.  I believe the movie was also set in Orange County.

There is a lot to love about the home.  Where to begin.  Let's start with the curb appeal and presence.  This lot is an irregularly shaped corner lot, which has one side curved and the other boxed, so it presented the architects with a unique challenge: which way shall the house face?

(Source: Bing Maps)


As you can see from above, the right hand (eastern) side of the lot is used simply as a driveway to a three-door garage.  I suppose that paved space could double as an impromptu basketball court if needed.  The facade has a semicircular driveway, and while most homes have backyards, this home instead opts for an expansive side yard.  So I think the home sits very well on the lot.

Next, massing.  This home is large.  Not obscenely large, but certainly not your average new home 3-4,000 square footer.  I like all the visual interest in the facade.  The alternating rooflines.  The very Spanish courtyard.  The various setbacks of the rooms - a hodgepodge of rooms cobbled together in a very capable way.

 (Source: NJC)

(Source: Google Maps)

(Source: Ashai)


The home feels classic, almost timeless.  While it is large, it feels cozy.  No McMansion feel here.  Ashai did a fine job making sure the features of the facade were as authentic as possible.  As most of you know by now, I'm a stickler for things like window recesses, shutters actually large enough to, you know, cover the window, white space, etc.  And this home's got all that and more.

(Source: NJC)


OK, OK, I know what you're saying - what about those second floor windows?  Shouldn't they too be recessed? You're right.  Perhaps six inches would have done the job.  How about that courtyard gate?  Very nice.

Lets switch to the back...err side yard.   This is the ocean-facing side of the home.

(Source: Bing Maps)

(Source: MLS)

(Source: MLS)

I love the side yard.  Sure there's no pool, just a big grassy area.  But look at the home. Two second floor balconies.  An arched first floor walkway.  Only thing I question is whether or not I would have preferred the second floor balcony on the left to be set back rather than overhanging the first level.  But a minor point.

This home was built as a spec house and the developer bought the lot in 2002 for $875K, went though the painful PVE approval process, and ultimately sold the home in 2005 for $3.5M.  It sold once more a year later for $3.8M.  (Quick aside: Funny enough - the owner that bought this home in 2006 is the CEO of an IT company that provides software solutions for law firms!  Similar to the movie!  In fact, he and his wife traded up from a smaller home in Lunada Bay which they had just sold for $1.9M).  The owners decided to sell at the worst possible time (October 2008) when they listed it for sale at $4.3M and chased the market all the way down over two years until it finally traded September 2010 for $3.2M.

Overall, a very lovely home I wouldn't mind calling my own

UPDATE: So I was perusing through my cable box and saw Big Momma's House 1 & 2 was playing this weekend (I'm guessing to promote the third installment of the series which is now out in theaters).  So I was able to grab a couple of screen caps (see below).  They also show shots of the Peninsula and of neighboring Redondo Beach as well.  Note that the interior of the home was not used in the film.

(Source: 20th Century Fox)

(Source: 20th Century Fox)

KEY STATS

Location: Monte Malaga, PVE
Style: Spanish
Year built: 2004
Architect: Ashai
Square footage: 6,046
Lot size: 18,740  (241 curve x 154 deep x 177 rear width)

The Middle Child

I'll finish my series on the Three Sisters with the middle one. Designed by Tony Ashai and built by Saridakis Construction in 2004, this home measures 7,188sf and sits on a flat 21,650sf lot.

(Source: Zillow)

(Source: NJC)

This home sits low, which in part makes it more challenging to photograph as a number of the facial features are obstructed by trees or other vegetation.  Unlike the other two Sisters, this home is a bit hidden from view.

It features a number of trees in the front yard, as well as a semi-circular driveway.  

 (Source: NJC)

What I like: the arched windows and doorways, with the dark wood trim. The height of the central hall.  The elevated stone block tower which sits slightly off center.  The alternating depths of the front contour.  The texture and tone of the walls.

Perhaps the arched doors on the right side are a bit too large - I understand the need for the symmetry in shape and scale to the arched doorway in the stone tower.  But maybe they could have been made a bit smaller.  The trim around the arched doors - do I love them or hate them?  I'm not sure.  Is the right side maybe a tad too busy? Too much going on?  I don't know.  When I look at this home, I have blips of "ahh, very nice" and "hmm, too much?"

Also, I suppose on a more general note, the problem I find with the newer builds that pay homage to the classic Italian and Spanish styles is that they tend to over-ornamentate (I know its not a word, but I think you get the point).  I think it was George Washington Smith, one of the great 20th century architects, that cherished the blank space, the expanse of white plaster on the faces of his homes.  Architects today for some reason feel the need to fill all the empty space with knicknacks like oversized windows, decorative trim, columns, wrought ironwork, lamps, medallions, etc etc etc.  I don't fault Ashai for this (as much) in this particular home, although I can see how one could make the argument.  Architects of today take note: less is more.  Less is more.

One other aside about Ashai.  I remember reading an interview he did a few years ago where he was asked about his design philosophy.  When he described how he approached designing one particular Italian-esque home,  he started by saying something like "most of these homes in Italy aren't finished day one, they evolve, over time, in some cases, hundreds of years, and that's reflected in their design."   In other words, what we think of today - for example this house - as a design planned and executed from day one, is really the product of a long, evolving response to changing family needs.  A new child born? Add a new bedroom to the house.  Threat of war and invasion? Let's add a guard tower.  Invention of the car? Time to build a garage.  So as Ashai does a verbal walk through of his homes, he talks about the "old part" and "new part" of the home.  When he designs homes, you can often see, even in the case of this home, how the various parts of the house in some ways look disconnected - as if built at different points in time.  I think it would be neat if, as he's describing his designs to his clients, he creates a story about the fictitious family that lived in the house, how they evolved over the years, and made changes/additions to the structure.  A new build with a history!

Anyway, on to the backyard.

 (Source: Bing Maps)

(Source: Bing Maps)

As you can see from the aerial photos, the backyard is quite spacious and has a pool that runs width-wise.  The home also has an open central courtyard which faces the rear garden and pool area.  Nothing spectacular to write home about, given what we've seen in the other two homes.

The current owners bought the property in 2003 for $1.5M then built the current home the following year.  It was listed for sale for $6.0M in late 2008, then relisted in mid-2010 for $5.0M.

KEY STATS

Location: Lunada, PVE
Style: Italian
Year built: 2004
Architect: Tony Ashai
Square footage: 7,188sf
Lot size: 21,650 (103x225)

A word about architects

I recognize that many of those that are (or will be) reading this blog are architecture-philes and also may be interested in learning more about some of the recent new construction being built and designed in the area.  I've spent a fair amount of time learning about many of the contemporary local architects designing the lion's share of new housing stock on the Peninsula, so thought I'd share some of my thoughts here. While many examples of their work are very well done, part of me still thinks that none are on track to create the timeless works of art designed by the greats, like George Washington Smith, Myron Hunt, & Addison Mizner. Although a few examples of their work come close!

Tier 1: The majors & the prolific
Ashai Design (http://www.ashai.com/)- Based in Torrance, with offices in Beverly Hills and Dubai, Ashai Design is headed by Tony Ashai, a Kashmir-born PVE resident. Ashai's designs are almost exclusively Mediterranean in style and as a general matter, the firm focuses on large-scale estates, residential communities and commercial projects.  Over the years, Ashai has designed many of PVE's largest and most opulent residences, though in recent years, Ashai has shied away from custom homes and focused instead on large residential and commercial developments in Dubai.  You'll see a number of their designs featured in future posts.

Doug Leach Architecture  (no website) - Doug Leach is one of the two best known South Bay architects (the other being Tomaro).  Doug designs mid to high end homes in the Beach Cities (Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and parts of Redondo Beach) and on the Peninsula.  His style includes Cape Cod as well as many Spanish and Tuscan-inspired blends.  At the peaak of the housing boom, Doug was designing 40+ homes per year - an amazing feat given he was the only architect at his Redondo Beach-based firm.  In a more normalized market, Doug pens approximately 20-25 homes per year.  He does architecture the old fashioned way, i.e. with pen and paper rather than a fancy 3D CAD model (although he refers people to 3D designers, if they want to see his designs in 3D).  Another interesting fact - Doug is a member of the PVE Art Jury.

Tomaro Design Group (http://www.tomaro.com/) - Tomaro Design Group is a Manhattan Beach-based firm headed by Louie Tomaro that dominates the Beach Cities market and does some work on the Peninsula.  Tomaro's styles range from Modern to Cape Code to Mediterranean.  Like Doug Leach, Tomaro is also one of the more prolific architects in the South Bay/Peninsula area.  Tomaro has a whole staff of people and utilizes the latest in tech for his clients - 3D renderings are standard, and he also has LEED-certified staff for those wanting some "green" building input.  In addition to design work, Louie's brother also runs Tomaro Design's construction business.  I find Tomaro gives up authenticity for his own take on "pure" styles like Spanish Revival, Italian, etc.  If you want Euro-authentic designs, look elsewhere.  If you want something different (some will love it, others will hate it), Tomaro might be a good fit.

Edward Carson Beall & Associates (http://www.ecbarchitects.com/) - Ed Beall is somewhat of a staple in the South Bay/Peninsula design world, having been around for nearly 40 years.  Many of the architects listed here have spent some time at Beall & Associates (as have many local architects not named in this post).  Beall now only does very high end projects and I've heard his minimum fee for design work is substantially above other Tier 1 guys.  I also understand he does a very small number of homes per year.  His styles are varied, ranging from Spanish Colonial to American Colonial and everything in between.  He also tends to do a large number of restoration remodel projects as you'll see featured on this site.

Tier 2: New guys and the occasionals
Russ Barto (no website) - Barto is a PVE-based architect that designs a number of homes on the Peninsula.  His style is varied and in my view, a bit on the plain side.  From what I gather, Barto is very good for clients that  have a very specific design idea in mind.  As a general matter, I'm not a fan of most of his work.

Don Thursby (no website) - Thursby is a Peninsula-based architect that does a small number of original and remodel designs.  I've only seen a few examples of his work but one home in particular is among my favorite homes in all of the Peninsula (stay tuned!)

Powell Dudley Frith (http://www.pdfarchitects.com/) - PDF Architects, namely Brad Dudley, also does a fair number of homes on the Peninsula (and southern Orange County and LA's Westside - Brentwood, Bel Air and Beverly Hills).  The Laguna Beach-based firm specializes in larger, high end custom homes.  Their design styles are varied, consistent with some of the larger, higher end firms mentioned in this post.

Obelisk Architects (http://www.obeliskarchitects.com/) - Less familiar with this firm, although I know they have designed a few homes in PVE and the South Bay.  They are based in Torrance.

Pritzkat and Johnson (http://www.pritzkatjohnson.com/) Not familiar with this firm, but they have done several remodels and new construction designs in the area.

EnviroTechno (http://www.envirotechno.com/) - Culver City-based firm that has designed a few homes in the South Bay and on the Peninsula.  The homes they've designed that I am aware of are Mediterranean in style.

Over the course several blogs, you'll become very familiar with the names above, as these firms dominate the Peninsula new build market.