California Homes: Marine Lair

Most homes do not feature a 65,000 pound infinity-edged swimming pool on the roof but that is only one of the details that make Marine Lair truly unique. To support the weight of the pool, Hill Construction Company built this four-story, 3200 square foot home with steel and cast-in-place concrete.

The cutting edge technology incorporated into each room of the home was a challenge that Hill Construction was excited to take on. “Due to the highly complex and technical nature of Marine Lair’s custom features,” said builder Ryan Hill, “we spent hundreds of man hours in preconstruction planning to ensure that each detail was executed perfectly the first time.” Unique residential projects are familiar to Hill Construction; the firm has been a leader in the creation and renovation of custom homes throughout the Western United States since 1975.

The home, which is owned by Andrew Canter, CEO of Canter Companies, also features a state-of-the-art hydraulic driveway and turntable garage. The hydraulic ramp lowers the car to an almost horizontal position. Inside the garage, the circular turntable is guided by lasers to spin and position the car to the right location. Canter said, “I wanted to push the limits with this build and achieve an extraordinary end product, from the core of the house and the materials used, to the look and feel of the structure as a whole. Even with all of the conceptualizing and planning, I couldn’t have predicted just how remarkable the completed home would be.”

Also located on the garage level is the chilled wine room, an exercise room and steam shower that is covered in Brazilian granite. The living room with retracting window walls is on the main level of the home near the ultramodern kitchen. The second level showcases the master bedroom with unobstructed views of the beach and a master bathroom that utilizes nanotechnology-dimming glass which can allow full view of the ocean or complete privacy with the push of a button.

Marine Lair is situated on an oceanfront La Jolla parcel that measures just 24 feet wide by 100 feet long. Care was taken in the architecture and the interior design to maximize the space. Fred Gemmell, Project Designer from Matrix Design Studio said, “When we first met Andrew he wanted everything to be detailed in the most beautiful way possible. Meetings were always exciting and full of design synergy. He was open to exotic materials such as the Koa we found from a fallen tree in Hawaii, and the backlit stone from Minas Gerais in Brazil, which had huge chunks of quartz and tourmaline that went clear through the entire thickness of the stone.”

The remarkable exterior of the home consists of hand-chiseled limestone, large split face blue-black granite, bands of titanium and Venetian plaster with a front walk that seems to be floating in a water garden. Marine Lair is truly a sanctuary that honors the ocean with innovation and elegance.