Hacienda Howse

Hacienda Howse is a 4100+ foot two-level home in the La Noria section of Puerto Los Cabos. It is the first of a number of La Noria builds, and represents a whirlwind effort by the owners and the CD design team, resulting in a neo-classical Mexican home with a host of innovations and twists, including 4 bedrooms, 5 baths, plus full casita, family room, office, breakfast patio, roof deck, and over 3000 feet of terraces and decks. One of the challenges of this lot is to raise the pad almost two meters above the current pad level, to obtain unobstructed ocean views from all floors. Additional requirement was no stairs anywhere on ground level. Plan is now stamped, and ecology has been out to survey the lot, so clearing and construction on the pad and retaining walls will commence once the building permit process is underway. Target to start is second or third week of October, with padwork taking roughly 7 weeks, mas o menos.

9/24. Raw land, scrub, the odd cactus, debris from the neighboring construction site.

10/18 - Lot is cleared, and construction of the platform and substructure commences. This lot is much like the Casa Denise lot, in that we will need to raise the level of the home above the natural elevation of the land by as much as several meters, using a combination of columns and dirt and retaining walls.

11/09 - Pillars are being poured following soil compaction tests showing 96% proctor - very high compaction level. Cape Development spec is 95%. We will also be doing block and concrete tests sporadically throughout the builds to ensure that PSI is at spec. Note all the 8 inch block, very uniform. All new builds are 8 inch block rather than 6.

That's a lot of rebar to bend by hand. Completion of substructure targeted for first week of December, mas o menos.

11/24 - The construction of the sub-structure progresses, and construction of the actual home is about two or so weeks away.

12/17 - The columns, driveway retaining wall (which wasn't in the plan, and only became obviously necessary after work started) are almost done. Right side as you face the lot have to get their columns poured (waiting on the cement truck) and then we wood frame the floor of the first floor, lay rebar and pour it.

You can see some of the wood that will support the concrete pour for the floor is already in place. So are the crossmembers of rebar that will provide structural support.

The view from about two feet above the ground floor of the house. Even lying on the floor, one can see completely over the home on the left, and will get a ton of ocean view even over the middle home yet to be built, as it's roofline will be on meter above the one on the left. So much for no ocean views from the first floor. It's all about the design and perspective, folks. Don't say it's impossible, just ask how much it will cost.....

1/31 - The substructure finished, the first floor poured. The actual house will now go up very, very quickly.

2/10 - And the first floor walls are going up. Nother week or so and they will be done (garage and campenario still need to go up, along with a few other internal walls), and we will be moving on to pour the next floor...

3/7 - Second floor is largely done, with a few more working days left to put up walls, and then preparation for a roof. Goal is to have a roof on the structure within a few weeks, and then start the plastering..

3/19 - Almost done with the second floor, now putting the supports and molds in place to pour the roof after the Easter holiday. We could have today, but it is generally a bad idea to do any major concrete pours right before a holiday.

Campenario entrance taking shape.

Rear of the house. Working on the back underground storage area.

4/1 Roof is on

Why is that house so much taller than the finished one? Short answer? The design was done using the max elevation and then calculating down, rather than plopping the house wherever the ground happened to be.

Note the stone going up onto the retaining wall.

Light over master is hole for the brick dome.

View from upstairs.

4/15

Progress is readily apparent now. Plaster going on, domes being completed, retaining walls being finished.

That would be a brick dome, before they put the concrete on the outside of it.

5/11 - And the progress continues. Should be finishing up the exterior over the next month or so, as concurrent work takes place inside.

Flooring in, ready for installation. Nice mosaic.

Pool walls poured, landfill going in.

Rooftop whale watching deck. Built in seating in progress, along with firepit.

6/16

Pool being tested to ensure no leaks.

Tile going up on the bathroom walls.

Front top retaining wall poured, being filled in with dirt. Once dirt in, deck can be poured, then columns installed and second story terrace poured.

7/21 - Progress continues. Looking like a real house now.

Still need to put the front terraces on, waiting for the cantera truck to show from mainland for the columns.

Fitting the sliding doors to make sure the size is correct.

Getting ready for painting.

Downstairs patio floor poured.

7/31 - Primer on, waiting for paint color approval.

Columns being prepared for the cantera, and the front terrace.

Dumbwaiter installed.

8-10. The front of the house is now almost done and ready for paint. Upstairs terrace poured, cantera columns in place.

Interior painting proceeding apace, waiting for pocket door cavities and drywall to be done. Anticipate finishing end of next week, and windows then going in.

Pool deck done, ready for Cantera, pool ready for pebbletech.

Rose travertine in upstairs master. Floor still beige, coloring in photo due to rose traverine dust and ground on floor in toilet area.

The dumbwaiter shaft.

Upstairs terrace in place.

9/6 - Nearing completion. Campenario windows in, paint scheduled for this week assuming no further storm disruptions, windows go in after paint dry. Iron going on upstairs balcony. Roof tile done.