2006 Below the street-level main floor of the "Pleasant Way House", a new 600 square foot suite of rooms crowns a state-of-the-art "deep pile" foundation, adding security and value to the Post & Beam residence above.

Wood 4x4 posts of the original structure were previously supported by small, shallow un-reinforced concrete footings on a very steep hillside. Following the rigorous 10' - 8" x 12' grid, the existing footings were replaced with 30" diameter by 20' deep pile footings built around engineered steel cages, which in turn are spanned by a steel reinforced concrete grade beam. Atop the grade beam a retaining wall of concrete block supports one edge of a structural steel & concrete floor slab; the other side of which is supported by a new continuous footing underpinning the existing concrete stem wall.

All of the footings were dug by hand, all of the spoils were exported from the site by hand, and all of the steel reinforcing cages were placed by hand. If this sounds like a labor of Sisyphean proportions, it was. Well worth the effort though, as it arrested the downhill creep of the existing footings while stabilizing the structure above, with the added benefit of providing the aforementioned suite of rooms: bedroom, spacious bath, walk-in closet and den w/ wet bar, all organized along an outdoor loggia running the length of the house.