The client had approvals for a Mediterranean residence designed by another architect. The market had
shifted so that now modern residences were commanding higher prices than Mediterraneans and he
wanted to change the design to a warm-feeling modern. He had hired a second architect to revise the
original plans. While that architect came up with a satisfactory design, it was very apparent that it was
not a “like-for-like” design that could be easily re-approved by the City’s Planning and Building
Departments without all new hearings and approvals.
Enter Steve Yett, with his problem solving skill set; he took elements of both designs, combining the
stronger elements of both in such a way that the revised project was reapproved by the City in one of it’s
easiest approval procedures: the “Substantial Conformance” review. The whole project was reapproved
relatively painlessly with minimal review, saving significant time and money.
“The trick was changing the house from a compartmentalized, small-windowed Mediterranean to an
open and free-flowing modern floor plan with large expanses of glass to take in the amazing ocean view
all-the-while not changing the building footprint in order to keep all of the discretionary approvals active.”
shifted so that now modern residences were commanding higher prices than Mediterraneans and he
wanted to change the design to a warm-feeling modern. He had hired a second architect to revise the
original plans. While that architect came up with a satisfactory design, it was very apparent that it was
not a “like-for-like” design that could be easily re-approved by the City’s Planning and Building
Departments without all new hearings and approvals.
Enter Steve Yett, with his problem solving skill set; he took elements of both designs, combining the
stronger elements of both in such a way that the revised project was reapproved by the City in one of it’s
easiest approval procedures: the “Substantial Conformance” review. The whole project was reapproved
relatively painlessly with minimal review, saving significant time and money.
“The trick was changing the house from a compartmentalized, small-windowed Mediterranean to an
open and free-flowing modern floor plan with large expanses of glass to take in the amazing ocean view
all-the-while not changing the building footprint in order to keep all of the discretionary approvals active.”
