Close, but no cigar.

OK, so yesterday I wrote about  one of my favorite homes in all of PV.  Today, I'm going to highlight a home that attempted a similar facade, but came up short.  It's not an ugly home, but its just not in the same league as yesterday's home.  The Simpson Residence.

(Source: EnviroTechno)

Designed by EnviroTechno in 2007, the home spans 3,138 square feet on a generous 11,990 square foot lot (79x156).  The property was purchased in 2006 for $1.4M and the original ranch home was torn down to accommodate this Spanish-esque home.  There are few things I like about the home.

 (Source: Bing Maps)

 (Source: Bing Maps)

For starters, I do like the garage and the angle of the garage roof.  I also like the vegetation around the home, and from certain angles, the home also seems well balanced.

  (Source: NJC)

 (Source: NJC)


However, on its own, absent the greenery, the home leaves much to be desired.

Number 1. The windows should not have the McMansion trim around them and they should not be flush with the wall.  Spanish homes must  have recessed windows.  If they have trim, think Spanish tiles not picture frame.

Numero 2. What's with that column in the doorway? Its too thin and is unbalanced with the mass of the protruding central room.  Either add an additional column or thicken this one.  Good thing it has the vines growing otherwise it would look naked and out of place.

Thirdly. The window on the second floor shouldn't abut the roofline.  It should float.  And it should have two panes, not three.  And why do the panes have such thick borders? I know the window opens, but it doesn't at all match the thinner (and preferable) pane borders on the lower window.

(Source: NJC)

Last of all.  Is it me, or do the angles of the roof seem too shallow - flat even? I think they need to be a tad steeper to help add visual interest and reduce overall massing.  Agree?

(Source: Bing Maps)


The property overall just seems dull.  Even the footprint of the home has no interest - just a mass of wood, tile and stucco.  No ingenuity - no "hmmm" or "aaahhh" factor - just ordinary.  Ditto on the backyard.  No pool.  No spa.  No fountain.  Just a grass yard.

Also, did anyone notice the lush front and back yard vegetation in the original home? The new home has most of those mature trees removed - what a waste! ...and all for for a home of meager architectural quality, what a crime!

KEY STATS

Location: Valmonte, PVE
Style: Spanish
Year built: 2007
Architect: EnviroTechno
Square footage: 3,138
Lot size: 11,990 (79x156)

Brand spankin' new!

Nothing better than having the charm of an Old World exterior with the interior amenities of a modern home.  This is the first of three posts on what I'll call the Three Sisters.  The Three Sisters are all homes built in the last 10 years  by three different architects in various dialects of the Mediterranean style.  They sit next to one another and  replace older, 1950/60s-era single story ranch style homes on wide, ocean front lots.  On either side of these three homes are older homes, in varying architectural styles.  I'm a big fan of all three homes because I think they all have a strong fidelity to their various architectural styles and also deliver on the original intent of the planners of the Palos Verdes Project.

Today's post focuses on the newest and youngest of the three.   Designed by Culver City-based EnviroTechno in 2009, the home was completed only a few weeks ago.  This home sits on a flat 1/2 acre lot (105x212) and replaces a 2,993 square foot ranch style home built in 1963.   The current homeowners bought the property in late 2008 for $2.4M and began construction of the new home in late 2009.  The home was completed in December 2010.

(Source: NJC)

(Source: NJC)

(Source: NJC)

The front of property features beautiful mature palm trees and a sprawling lawn.   The homes on this street are set back quite a way from the curb.  In fact, while this lot is quite long (212-225 feet), it also has city parkland as its front yard - i.e. approximately 30 feet of its front yard is actually owned by the city of Palos Verdes Estates.  I would suspect that the home sits about 60 feet from the curb.

I think EnviroTechno did a great job with the facade.  With 105 feet of lot width to work with, the scale of the windows, arches, columns and doors all make sense.  The arcaded front porch with tasteful arches, the modest landscaping as well as an attractively simple yet elegant semi-circular driveway all contribute to a sense of appropriateness of the home with its surroundings (plus no front facing garage!!!).  My only knock against the front facade is the scale of the central tower, which in my view, may be a tad too wide.  That said, I think this is a facade one could grow to love.  (As an aside, I've seen a great many examples of a front facial layout similar to this in the flats of Beverly Hills between Santa Monica and Sunset boulevards.  In several cases, the architects took a great many liberties in oversizing arches, medallions, columns and other facial features that result in a caricature of a house (the un-PC Persian Palace effect).  What's more - the lots are not as generous as this one, with very tight front and side setbacks.)  Anyhow, back to this home.

One other feature I find attractive is the scaling of the first and second floors.  You'll notice that the second story is tucked away under the roof, and I would suspect is a good 1-2 feet shorter than the first floor.  This helps reduce the mass - which, unlike what you see in McMansions - illustrates restraint on the part of the homeowners and architects that favors good design over maximizing size (no one needs 12 foot ceilings throughout the whole house!)

(Source: NJC)

The original 1963 ranch style home which sat on this lot was owned by the original owners for over 45 years and only sold in 2008.  It occupied a good portion of the lot and had a single lane driveway that led to the garage and a tennis court at the rear of the property.

(Source: Google Maps)

 (Source: Bing Maps)

(Source: Bing Maps)

The rear yard had a number of mature trees which have since been cleared, along with the tennis court to make room for a paved courtyard and pool.  

(Source: Google Maps)

(Source: NJC)

Given the young age of the home, public records are still missing some fun facts (like square footage) but I will add those as they become available in the future.  Based on the other two 'sisters,' I suspect this home is approximately 7,000 square feet and would have a market value today of approximately $5-6M.

KEY STATS

Location: Lunada, PVE
Style: Italian
Year built: 2010
Architect: EnviroTechno
Square footage: n/a, but approx. 7,000sf
Lot size: 21,600 (105x212)

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.