31370 Railway Road, Unit 2
Ocean View, DE 19970

Projects

Bethany Dunes Renovation, 30980 Heather Lane – oceanfront

I design 19 out of 20 houses that I build. I provide the design at no charge if I am retained to build the house. This oceanfront project in Bethany Dunes is considered a renovation even though it's a new house. DNREC moved their beach preservation line west after the existing house was built. If I demolished the existing house, the new house would be relocated approximately 30 feet west of the existing house. Shifting the house west would have severely diminished the ocean front view and eliminated this house's unique view to the south. To comply with DNREC grandfather rule, we demoed approximately 70% of the existing house leaving the ground level floor, the first living level floor and the exterior walls. I designed and built the house using the existing piling structure while adding only 4 new piles to support the stair tower which is west of the DNREC line. Designing the interior walls to create an amazing floor plan while transferring the dynamic weight loading from the roof to the existing piling structure was quite a challenge. I created a modern/contemporary exterior without following the normal exterior materials and features like a typical contemporary house would feature. This six-bedroom, reverse living (third floor) home features a 55' x 20' kitchen/living area which has the best beach and ocean views in North Bethany. I raised the existing second floor 2 feet above the existing floor giving the bedroom level an elevated view of the beach and ocean instead of looking at the sand dune. The random width, riffed and quartered oak floor has a three-step finish that looks like driftwood. The ocean side decks feature Ipe decking and cable rail to provide an unobstructed view. Marvin and Marvin Integrity windows and doors which capture these amazing views are a standard feature on every Bruce Mears, Designed and Built House.
"Who Better to Build Your House than the Man Who Designed It?"
Project Year: 2015
Project Cost: $1,000,001 - $1,500,000
Country: United States
Zip Code: 19930