By Tony Manolatos
Known for its affordable housing work and large-scale projects including high-rises, schools, and hospitals, AVRP Studios currently is designing more than a dozen high-end custom homes. All but one are in San Diego and the outlier is located on an island in Puget Sound, British Columbia.
“I started my career designing custom homes, so it’s fun to get back to my roots,” said AVRP CEO and Founder Doug Austin, FAIA.
These homes feature numerous highlights but what stands out for Austin is many of these homes are multi-generational and include accessory dwelling units (ADUs) for family members, and several offer breathtaking ocean views. They are situated in Del Mar, Point Loma, North Park, Carmel Valley, Puget Sound and elsewhere. Here’s a closer look:
Hillside home in Carmel Valley
CARMEL VALLEY
AVRP is designing seven custom homes known as the Costa Vista community, nestled on a hillside in Carmel Valley.
“So often in San Diego, people do cut and fill, but what we’re doing is building the houses around the slope,” Austin said. “By designing the homes to fit the hillside, we’re creating a more natural aesthetic. There will be some excavation but we’re not doing cut and fill pads.”
All seven homes boast stunning ocean views, range from 6,500 to 8,500 square feet, and are being designed for families. “They embrace a contemporary aesthetic, with lots of natural light,” Austin said.
Ocean view home with an ADU in Del Mar
DEL MAR
AVRP is designing a new ocean view three-bedroom home with a new ADU in the backyard in Del Mar. “I love the clean lines and the way we’re embracing the view and the indoor-outdoor environments,” Austin said. “This is another home designed with a family in mind.”
New Craftsman-style home in North Park with a junior ADU and a two-bedroom ADU with a garage
NORTH PARK
AVRP is designing a new Craftsman-style home in North Park. This project also includes a junior ADU and a two-bedroom ADU with a garage. “It will feel like a new home, but it will have the charm and warmth of a 1920s Craftsman home,” Austin said. “And what’s really special about it is it will be a three-generational home: grandma will live in the junior ADU, the daughter in the ADU, and mom in the main home.”
Hillside home near Solana Beach
UNINCORPORATED SAN DIEGO COUNTY
This project is especially meaningful for Austin. It involves redesigning and expanding a hillside home near Solana Beach that he originally designed and co-developed in 1977. “We’re adding a new family room, two bedrooms, and a new bathroom. It’s kind of cool. I’m glad the homeowner was able to find me,” Austin said.
Scott Street home in Point Loma
POINT LOMA
This is a redesign of a home Austin recently purchased on the San Diego Bay in Point Loma. The home, built in the 1970s, is on Scott Street, and is where Austin lives with his wife and son.
The Lone Torrey in Del Mar
The Austins sold their home in Del Mar known as the Lone Torrey, where the family raised their three children. That home, designed and built by Austin in 2000, won numerous design awards.
“The Scott Street home needs a lot of work, but it has a wonderful garden and a fabulous location. We’re going to completely transform the home,” Austin said. “We are repurposing the kitchen, and we’re turning the dining room into a 1-bedroom ADU with a bathroom for one of our kids. We also are taking the walls out of the living room to create an indoor-outdoor room alongside the pool, to expand the outdoor space for a ping pong table and a bar.”
Upstairs, all three bedrooms and an office are being enhanced, and designers are adding a new third floor featuring expansive decks and a living room, dining room, kitchen, powder room, and stunning sloped roof.
Island home in the Puget Sound off the coast of Vancouver, British Columbia
PUGET SOUND, BRITISH COLUMBIA
AVRP is designing a new single-family home in the Puget Sound off the coast of Vancouver, British Columbia.
“We won a Grand Award for a home on an island (also off the coast of Vancouver) and this client saw the project and wanted one with a similar design,” Austin said.
The design incorporates wood and stone, giving the island home a contemporary Craftsman look.
Tony Manolatos is a public relations consultant for AVRP Studios.