A newly built mini mansion dubbed “the jewel of Irvine” by its creators has some University Park residents stunned that their homeowners 
association approved the boxy, 3,850-square-foot house in their 1960s tract home neighborhood.
The developers – an Irvine family who has purchased, renovated and resold about 40 homes in this city – are asking $1.47 million for the luxurious, five-bedroom contemporary home at 2 Angell, across the street from Wholesome Choice Market near Michelson and Culver. The median home sale price for 2007 in the ZIP code, 92612, was $605,000.
The lot’s previous house was a 2-bedroom, 2 bath 1,500-square-foot single story. Everything visible, inside and out, is brand new.
“It just kind of sticks out,” front-door neighbor Sarah Bonner said. “It would be a beautiful house in the proper neighborhood, but not here.”
R.B. Singh, who lives two streets down from Angell, disagrees. The house looks better than many older homes in Irvine with million-dollar-plus price tags, he said.
“Now, owners in our neighborhood will start doing the same because they know the potential of what they can do with their lots,” Singh said.
The effects of home expansion and modernization of homes have been a hot topic in several O.C. communities such as Brea, Laguna Beach, Fountain Valley and Seal Beach, where residents want to keep the character of their neighborhoods, protect property values, or both.
And homes are getting bigger. The average house size in the United States increased from 1,700 square feet in 1978 to 2,456 square feet in 2006, according to the National Association of Homebuilders.
Owners of four homes near the 2 Angell house said they were surprised that University Community Association – which has a reputation for being strict – approved the project.
“I was shocked – really shocked – to see that house,” resident Jian Vang said.
The community’s five-member board of directors unanimously approved the project in February 2007. The panel found that the design did not violate any of the association’s Conditions, Covenants and Restrictions, and did not make any special exceptions for the project, site manager Scott Mourer said.
Without speaking directly to 2 Angell, Kathy Gonzales of the Community Associations Institute said boards need to be diligent in reviewing all community documents to make sure individual projects are in line with established rules. There have been cases where projects that violate CC&Rs have been mistakenly approved, she said.
While boards do need to look at what is overall visually pleasing in the neighborhood, they cannot legally reject a project simply because they don’t like it, she said. 
Architect Sean Abaii and his brother, Aboush, purchased the property with their mother in February 2007 for $640,000. They declined to say how much they invested into the reconstruction.
The new home has a full bedroom suite downstairs ideal for grandparents. The master suite upstairs has a flat-screen TV hookup and a fireplace. The home features six- by-six-foot dual-glazed windows to let in the light but muffle the sound of cars whizzing by on Michelson.
There is a waterfall on the wall facing the Michelson Drive exit of University Park Center. Sean said he wanted to give shoppers something beautiful to look at while exiting the retail complex.
The architect has designed about 75 homes. He drew inspiration for 2 Angell from its surroundings, he said. He said the boxy look is a trend in contemporary design that maximizes interior space.
Aboush, a real estate broker, set the price by inviting people to tour the home and asking them what they thought it was worth. The $1.47 million price tag is about $350,000 below market by his 
calculations, Aboush said.
Walter Hahn, a real estate economist who lives in Irvine, disagrees.
“They’ll never get anything close to what they are asking,” he said. “Its the wrong location for a big house like that. It’s on a busy street across from a shopping center. It’s double the size of anything in the area. It’s totally out of character with the neighborhood. They should have built it in Turtle Ridge or near the top of Turtle Rock.”
Sean said 2 Angell is ideal for a family who wants to walk to shopping, enjoy the home’s design and benefit from all that Irvine has to offer.
He also pointed out that progressive architecture has replaced many 1940s homes in Corona del Mar, leading to modern looks, larger homes, better standards and higher property values.
2 ANGELL
5,800 square feet of lot
3,850 square feet of house
5 bedrooms
2 double ovens
MORI Properties International
www.moriproperties.com
714-235-6103
I have seen this house, inside and out. This is a VERY nice home.
It is spacious, comfortable, well designed and has a very nice layout.
Personally, I think I would want to make the downstairs suite my own entertainment room - but that’s just me!
The kitchen is just something you must see. Very nice cabinets, dual ovens and dishwashers, so it’s perfect for entertaining.
Then there’s the front door. You can leave it open on nice summer nights without risk. It’s very neat!
Frankly, I think that in the near future a lot of these old houses with their asbestos and lead pipes will be rebuilt just like this home was. People want more than 1500 square feet of living space and they actually like things such as insulation.
Well, it’s a big improvement over the other homes. Look at the one to the left? It looks rundown.
This house looks ridiculous in this setting. A remodel not only needs to tak into account the needs of the homeowner, but also the character of the neighborhood. I’m not going to lie and say that the 1960’s architecture in this tract is at all appealing or historically significant (except as an example of unattractive lack of attention to facades rampant during the 60’s/70’s), but it is possible to upgrade and beautify without creating a sore thumb.
Good luck getting a $1.5 million loan in a neighborhood where the comps are half that. Besides, that kind of Palm Springs architecture has a very limited appeal in OC. Add to that the worst RE market in a decade and I would say these guys are going to learn a very tough lesson in investing.
This house sticks out like a sore thumb in that neighborhood. It is far to modern… I can’t believe the HOA approved it.
Obviously the interrior has first rate materials and ammenities - looks nice. But I’ve never cared for that ‘boxes-inside-of-boxes’ design, no matter how artsy you describe it. I also agree with Kate and have always hated 60’s architecture.
I’m very surprised the HOA approved it - must have been wined, dined and BS’d over their heads. But then again Irvine had that 10-year+ Ganesh ‘refurbishment’ job a while ago too. Whatever happened with that?
They can use artsy-fartsy words like ‘juxtaposition’ but it really is the wrong house in the wrong place. Move it to Palm Springs.
Wow what a beautiful house they have built. It may seem to be out of place considering the rest of the neighborhood but I’d much rather see houses like this being built than the eyesore next to it. The asking price might seem high but like they say, “you get what you pay for” and I think you get alot of great features for your money with this house. Kudos to the builders and to the architect that designed it. I wish I had $1.47 million to buy it for myself!
Well- you can live frozen in time, or move forward. I see the innovative remodel as a gutsy step out in front of the pack. So what if some think the home is priced too high or that financing will be difficult. Of what concern is that to anyone but the owners - and they don’t seem all that concerned.
The architecture is striking, the style looks forward, the use of materials and methods all top-end. So these guys are the first in the neighborhood and they designed-built all on their own dime. Have you taken a drive through West L.A. lately. Beautiful, eco-efficient, well-designed homes slowly replacing 800 sq. ft. wood-rot eye-sores. Kudos to them.
Don’t forget that most of Newport Beach was nothing but tiny bungalows (and dirt-floor tents before that). Was that cute? Sure. It was also destined to be elegantly gentrified. The bungalows were slowly being reclaimed by the elements - and the termites. When the shack has lived out its life-expectancy an incoming landowner has a decision to make: The most prudent decision is to bring the parcel to it’s highest and best use. If conforming to building code, aesthetically pleasing, functional, and useful - who are we to say the neighborhood should never be improved upon. You can only hold back the sands of time for so long.
Irvine has an eye on the future. So do these bold developers. If I was a neighbor on this street I would be ecstatic. When gentrification like this shows up it means there is interest in improvement. Demand will follow the supply. Take a walk down some dilapidated old streets in the “Rust Belt” where interest has died along with values decades ago - with no hope of returning. I have no intention of moving there and improving anything - do you?
Congratulations to these forward-thinking, enthusiastic innovators. I’d much rather have this kind of “problem” in my neighborhood than the one that seems to be getting worse daily right next door.
Here’s a tip: If you want to complain to the HOA - get them to have that guy next door AT LEAST fix his garage door, clean the yard, and maybe slap a fresh coat of paint on - has it even been painted since the 60’s? Now that would might help your neighborhood a bit. If I lived there, I might even offer to buy the paint… Now there’s energy better spent…
P.S. Love that interior detail work. True craftsmanship - elegant, but tastefully done…
I think it is awesome!!! We are moving into a house off of Walnut and there are quite a few homes in our neighborhood that have been re-built. I will probably do the same to mine in the future.
I completely agree with Kate and Tom. In fact I would go so far as to say the outside of the house is ugly. When I first looked at the picture of the two side by side homes, it took me a second to figure out which one this “giant mansion” was!
No one’s going to be admiring the modern architecture of it when they’re coming out of a retail complex (one brother says he wanted to give shoppers something beautiful to look at as they exit the complex). The inside is quite nice, I admit, but totally improper. The whole idea isn’t so great. They’re not making astronomical profits and in this market, not many people are willing to take risks and buy homes like this. So much for trying to think “out of the box”!
This house in my neighbor hood in TX would go for about $350,000 max. It is a beautiful house and the architecture would fit perfect in New Mexico and south TX. I agree that these guys will never get even 1 million for the house, even in a good housing market, way overbuilt for the area!
Remember the Developer and Agent’s names…and if they ever approach you to “do a deal” , run away as fast as you can. Also memo to the patient real estate investor: Swoop in and buy this “Jewel of Irvine” in the next 6 to 12 months for somewhere between high 900’s to low 1 million..
P.S. That waterfall isn’t the only thing falling…
The house looks great, and a first step in renovating the neighborhood. Old neighborhoods don’t have to remain old forever. Hopefully, more and more home owners will start remodeling their homes, and beautifying the neighborhood.
Interesting article. This is a very lovely house. It’s unfortunate that not everyone knows how to appreciate it. If I was in a position to purchase this marvelous house I would do so because it is unique to the neighborhood and that makes it more appealing, in my eyes. Kudos to everyone involved - especially the architect. He did a wonderful job.
I drive past this house every day on my way home from work. While it was being built I thought it was an office building. I can’t BELIEVE it’s a home, not in that neighborhood. It may be beautiful or striking or whatever positive descriptions have been used, it’s just TOTALLY out of place in that neighborhood. I too am shocked that the HOA would approve it, knowing how “cookie cutter” those groups usually are.
I still don’t understand why anybody would buy this home. Spacious, beautiful, eye-catching homes are a dime-a-dozen in this county folks! There’s nothing particularly unique about this one, unless you count the SPECTACULAR view of cars whizzing by in and out of Wholesome Foods on one side and the view of junky old houses on the other…
Total waste of money, time, and effort on the builders part!
When you drive by the place it looks like an office building. Why would you spend so much money to fix a home in such a bad location? It is right at the corner of a VERY busy street.
I am all for rebuilding on the older lots with a more modern house if that is what you are looking for in a home. I live off of Trabuco and there is a VERY nice house in our older neighborhood that was rebuilt from scratch on the lot recently. While it is modern, however, it DID take in to account the houses around it. The house is obviously newer and a more modern structure but it does not seem horribly out of place, as this house here does.
It may sell, it may not, but what these architects probably did (unintentionally?) with this build was to decrease the value of the surrounding properties. If they ever want to sell their houses “as is”, they will have to come down on price because more people will be looking to rebuild over the older structure. This, of course, is a problem for the seller, not the buyer. The HOA won’t care about that- they will just want the fees from the new buyers.
If Christopher Columbus had sat home and did nothing we would not have what we have today…..Same goes with Bill Gates, Tom Edison, Graham Bell, and many others…..Although we should not compare this project to any of the events in the history, but the point is that someone took the gutsy FIRST STEP and the initiative to start something and break the mold……This is a GREAT departure from the old homes in the neighborhood. Someone with guts like the developer and the architect has made a great service to improve the neighborhood. Only time will tell and the history will show and appreciate these peoples efforts. The adjoining homeowners will also tremendously benefit from the sale of this home, as it will no doubt increase their property values. Also thanks to the HOA and the architectural review board for taking a positive step in realizing that it is time to improve the neighborhood. My hat’s off to them…..Great job to all parties involved…..
If you gave the local residents a choice of theirs or building one this size (no money worries) I wonder which one they would pick. We are regulated how far from the perimeter and how high you can build, take advantage of it. This is like shipping a box half full when you could have loaded it due to weakness on the other end picking it up.
Irvine isn’t Corona Del Mar. CDM homes were largely built by individual architects, and many homes are built up. Irvine was built on a single set of cookie-cutter plans. Uniformity was the watch-word.
They can ask whatever price they want. What they’ll get in today’s uncertain market, with no comps, is anyone’s guess. I doubt they’ll break a million, though. I would estimate they spent about $350K on building it, so they’re looking at a possible loss here.
It’s a bad time for speculators, especially ones who hope to take extravagent advantage of the market.
Yuck. Will the poor saps next door ever see the sun again?
interior is gorgeous, the rest is completely hideous. I know the architect and rest of the family involved were only seeing dollar signs, but they should have sought a better compromise. looks like someone accidentally dropped some huge Legos on that lot and even the old homes look better than this. what Tanya V said is most accurate, why not make it blend in and be completely modern at the same time?
worse, it’s not even the proper setback from the street. wonder how that permit slid thru. even a housing neophyte can see that.
These days RE and OC/Irvine property values needs any catalyst toward higher valuations it can…given the price of new million homes with 25 years of Mello Roos supplemental tax attached to it, I think these older non-Mello Roos communities in Irvine are rip for tear downs. Generally, it is within the spirit of the HOA; them were ugly track homes to being with. The new $1.5 million house is a bargain relative to others in newer communities. If I was the neighbors, I would be estatic that there is now a catalyst on our block for higher valuations on my block. The re-gentrification of Irvine with tear downs and McMansion could be the catalyst for the micro economy in areas like University Park, Turtle Rock, Northwood and others who didn’t really experience the full upside of the rest of OC since new home construction seems to be clearly out of favor.
I have seen the building inside and out. It is a masterpiece and best use of the space possible…. so open… the design was the best to bring light inside the house…. the land scape and water fall… the flow of the structure is in such a harmony that it makes you want to sit there for hours… the material used are all high quality and beautiful earth tone colors…. you will never be bored because the shopping center across is so alive…. is the best thing that has happened to the neighborhood. I hope it will be an inspiration for everyone to upgrade and go modern. I liked the building so much that I have hired the architect to do my project already… He does such a nice job and so fast… has great and elegant taste… I know he has done 40+ homes in Irvine already and hope he gets to do as much as possible to make Irvine all that it can be… why not?
Amazing Architecture and the interior is fabulous! Love the waterfall. Most people may not appreciate the location, but it might work for my family. This would be perfect, my elderly parents live with us they can enjoy the views and walk across to the center for shopping and exercise. I will contact my agent to view the home this weekend.
P.S. I guess everyone who has something negative to say must be ENVIOUS (deep inside).
…seem as canned as the denials by Roger Clemens. Remodels in aging neighborhoods are fine and the architecture in this neighborhood is horrible but this house is not only out of place but it is bland to boot. Same type of interior as thousands of other homes with no originality. The exterior looks like an office building too.
And to compare this remodel to what happened in CDM or Beverly Hills or Newport is a joke. I know CDM. And this location next to a busy intersection, an aged, mediocre shopping center and the 405 is no CDM. Nice try guys. I’ll give you $799K for it.
I would like to know if the term “over-improved” means anything to this investor.
If you have not seen the inside … you really should…..
The Persians are coming
Jeff - So I have ‘no money worries’ and I have to chose between the 2 - a 60’s piece of junk and someone’s artistic expression? Yeah right. Could you make it tougher by adding an igloo option?
This home is just plain odd. The HOA should be recalled. I got a letter from my HOA for painting the wrong shade of grey and they approve this? The huge waterfall? 1.4 million? Goofy comes to mind.
Marble floors are somewhat ‘Persian’ but you’d need to complete the decor with over-ornate gold everything everywhere.
I think the house looks nice. It’s too bad it’s in a neighborhood full of the old 60’s era homes that in some cases are not maintained well. I hope this does signal the gentrification of University park. Maybe someday, the houses won’t look cookie cutter anymore. That seems to be a common complaint of the tract homes in Irvine.
Nice house!
Thanks to God, cities like London, Paris did not have people or arquitects thinking “ahead of times”. The Eiffel tower would look like the Jetsons world and the Quartier Latin would look lilke Fashion Island. This house would look nicer in Prescott, Arizona.
Nice house, wrong location.
Location, location, location…and this is immediately across Michelson from the exit to the strip center. Smaller and deeper in the subdivision maybe, better yet Turtle Rock with a view.
they are going to lose their ass. too much and across from the market.
yikes!
We need more homes like this to improve our neighborhood. I am all for it…..
The waterfall is spectacular… There should have been two of them, one to face Angell street too. If I could afford it, I would make an offer close to the asking price…..
I live in this neighborhood. I agree that the interior of this house is stunning, but the exterior is completely and ridiculously out of place. If you drive down the street that this house is on and veer left, you will see anoher huge, stunning Refurb that was just completed last year, I believe. The difference is that the exterior style of this completely rebuilt house around the corner is more in keeping with the style of the other homes on the street. Yes, it’s huge and more up to date (think Westpark) but at least they took the rest of the neighborhood into consideration.
Clearly this is a real estate advertisement - “PLEASE BUY THIS HOUSE - WE’RE LOSING MONEY FAST”. And all those that made comments with words such as “Amazing”, “Wonderful”, “Masterpiece”, and so on…. Pulease. These words must be from the owners or relatives. They are just way too over the top to be genuine admirers. Next time, same architecture, half the size, and dump it in a McMansion friendly neighborhood like Stanton.
For those guys with negative comments, just let us know how much of a rent you have you been paying? Because to me it seems like that all those negative comments come from renters who never had the guts to take a challange like those architects and buildes did. In addition, let us all know about your real estae projects and constuction that you have done lately or have done at all. Rather than sitting behind your computer and bad mouthing these builders and also not spending a dime of your money on any projects at any given time in your life time, just sit back and admire the type of work, effort man power these guys have spent.
Believe me, if you had the financial power, talent, and ability and opprotunity to do a project like this , you would be the first one to go.
If you have done any real estate projects let’s share it with other readers. But if you have not done any real estate projects, I do not think your negative comments worth a Dime.
I admire these builders, architects who have the guts to take a challenge like this. The rest of us need to sit back and dream about getting to where these guys are.
Rey: Amen…..very well put…..
Wally Rey: ?
Rey and Wally,
Just a quick tip - I don’t need to qualify my experience and knowledge to leave a post. If you don’t like it, move on to the next post.
If you are still reading: Do you truly think this is some architectural triumph that your cousin pulled off here? Have you looked at the staircase railings? Is that where he ran out of money , hope or simply gave up?
What about seeing clear through the length of the house and out to the back yard from the front door? Arches are mixed up with straight lines, marble with tile, wood with stucco.
This house impresses the simple-minded folks who want to impress other simple minded folks. That is so…. you know, 2006-ish
Rey:
Do you really believe that only people who have developed real estate/construction projects are entitled to an opinion on the aesthetic beauty and worth of a home? Really? Or does this logic only kick in for negative opinions? I think the interior of this house is gorgeous and the exterior is awful. According to you, I can’t voice this opinion because I don’t have the “financial power, talent, and ability and opprotunity (sic) to do a project like this.” The pretentious condescension in your post is neither supported by your command of grammar and spelling, nor warranted by your failed graspings at logic and reason. Since you are so in love with this place and since you seem to have all this “financial power,” why don’t YOU buy the home and live there? I already know the answer but you’ll never post it here.
I highly resent the posters here who seem to know (or may even be) the renovators and are posting under multiple different names bashing people who don’t like the home or making comments like “if only I had money I’d make an offer.” It gets really stupid when one of you submits a post and then shortly after submits one of those “well said” replies to yourself under a different name. It is dishonest, childish, and absolutely reeks of desperation.
A GUTSY FIRST STEP………………..OH PAHLEEEEEEZE. ruf ruf
Kir Koloft:
I bet you can live up to your screen name (Kir Koloft), which seems you have nothing to do but criticize what is clearly out of your area of knowledge. Stop watching soap operas and get a real job….If you stalk to few builders who are in this industry, they will tell you that this in fact truly is a masterpiece…….So Kir Koloft (by the way to mean large male organ)…..to live up to your name, this house would be suited for you with only one problem and that is it would take you way too long to qualify for it and with your small mentality, you would be lost in it…Stop complaining….
I have seen this house, awesome design and features, very nice architectural details, it’s the kind of house you see on MTV cribs, I would love to have this house, It will be worth 5 mill in 6 or 7 years for sure, there is not much land available in Irvine to build a house like this and if we did we would have to pay Mello Roos Tax for 20 years, the architect has done an awesome job of making the house work great with the site, and it is in a great location. The inside totally rocks, granite everywhere even on the floor, high ceilings, large rooms and baths, the showers are awesome, I loved the master bath shower, and the house has a tank-less waterheater, that means you won’t ever run out of hot water and I love to take very long showers.
You’ve got to be kidding me! WHO would buy it??? WHO would want to live in what looks like an aging/decaying neighborhood yet pay that purchase price??? What nonsense.
A.S. Says: “It will be worth 5 mill in 6 or 7 years for sure.”
I LOLed. @ this.
You don’t even believe your own statement or else you’d buy the home. In fact, why don’t you just do that? Put your money where your mouth is. You’ll lose $3.5 million over 6 years by not buying.
By the way, even the renovators disagree with you on this point. If they thought this home would be worth that much in 6 or 7 years it wouldn’t be on the market. You should call them and let them know how much money they are going to miss out on.
What’s up with your point about land running out in Irvine to build a house like this? The article says it wasn’t even built on new unused land. There was a 2 bd 2 bath home there before. You don’t NEED any new land in Irvine to build homes like this and it doesn’t matter if ALL the land runs out. You just do what they have done 40 times: buy a house and renovate it.
Speaking as a degree holder in architecture, I must disagree with those posters here who would defend this mess of a design. I don’t have enough space here to go into the problems so I’ll just hit the high points. First, I doubt the “architect” is a formally trained, there are far too many elementary errors in design to suggest one who’s endured the scrutiny and unvarnished critiques one receives in their schooling. Externally speaking, the home doesn’t make efficient or interesting use of the lot available. It has the look of a structure that plopped onto the lot, not one that grew organically or by forethought. The design exhibits a complete lack of sensitivity to it’s surroundings or to the environmental considerations of this part of Southern California. As was previously mentioned, the design is more suited to an open, desert environment such as Palm Springs or Santa Fe, NM certainly not a semi-wooded neighborhood like U.Park. Moreover, it is quite literally adjacent to a shopping center and parking lot. At the very least, the designer should’ve found a way to position the home furthest from the street and distinctly removed from it’s adjacent parking lot. Juxtaposition is not a term one would apply here.
Although the interior is nicely appointed, it displays a nearly complete disregard for anything approaching a theme or unifying element. For instance the front door and arches have an obvious middle-eastern influence. Clearly a nod to the designers heritage and certainly a valid design thought. However he fails to carry that cue throughout the home. The staircase bannisters look as though they were chosen straight from a Home Depot catalogue and bear no relation to any middle-eastern theme. The same can be said for the kitchen, nicely appointed but uniquely average and without any custom design cues. He had some nice ideas but failed completely to carry those cues through the home. For $1.47MM one expects and pays for uniqueness and a higher level of design and finish; this home displays almost nothing unique.
Finally, although a bold move forward is admirable, one doesn’t serve one’s goal by completely ignoring the sensibilities of the neighborhood. Don’t believe me or disagree? I challenge you to take a look at Frank Lloyd Wright’s or Richard Nuetra’s work. You’ll see almost immediately what I mean.
Are you kidding me? Sure,this would be a nice house in CDM…but it’s in an old,ugly tract neighborhood in Irvine. Who wants to buy a 1.4 million dollar home in that neighborhood? You don’t have to be a real estate expert to know that would not be a wise investment. I have seen plenty of these “McMansions” in older,middle-class neighborhoods. 20 years from now this house will still be an eyesore,and difficult to sell. These guys aren’t “gutsy”,they’re stupid.
James,
Could you please post or give us the addresses for some of your latest Architectural designs. What are your specialties as far as a design, ? Have you seen this house in person? Or just your opinion is based on the pictures which are posted here? A professional will not make any judgment untill has inspected the project entirely!!!
Looking forward to receive few of your projects.
This place is exactly what cookie-cutter Irvine needs - although it could have been done a bit better. I’m constantly amazed that builders in our city keep putting up lame craftsman, colonial, southern, or other styles of houses that just don’t fit into “SoCal”.
I’m a big fan of modernist architecture, but it’s clear that the City of Irvine is not.
Wally,
You seem like a very nice, simple guy. I think if we met each other in a party, we would hit it off for a few minutes, but then I would have to introduce you to another poor fellow and move on to someone more interesting.
James presented a really intelligent post on how your cousin Aboush failed as a builder and designer on so many basic levels. (By the way, I say your cousin, because you did not refute my claim in my earlier post). Please read James’ post Wally, digest it and learn from it. It is called a critique. An argument is provided, examples are cited and a conclusion is presented.
What you provide is a series of misspelled, canned plugs for your cousin, which though entertaining , is not factually based on anything- kind of like Jerry Springer Show.
Hey James,
Do you call people “stupid”? I think you are more stupid than anyone else. Because, this is what you see in yourself. Have some degnity and self respect.
If you agree or disgaree, who cares. Just give your opinion. Calling people stupid shows your weakness and inferiority.
Why everybody’s Ass is burning over this project. If you can not make any acheivement in your life so be it. Stay where you are.
I do not know those buiders, neither met them, but I do admire and respect every person’s hard work and effort.
While you give your opinion, respect other people’s hard work.
By the way, if any one of you would like to give any opinion stay with your statements. Do not deviate from the subject. Like this guy, Brian, who wants to comment on my Grammer. We are not discussing English 101 in here.
Nancy Dear,
Not to cut into James’ reply to your post, but I have to say based on the pictures alone, a real professional would not waste her valuable time going inside.
But I guess you have. So please, from the deep wells of your knowledge and experience, write a couple of sentences on why this place offers a mastery of design and why it is worth the asking price, which noone has offered yet, by the way.
Maybe your brother Wally can help you. I provided a short tutorial on Argumentative Writing earlier today.
Hi Rey
I don’t think everybody’s Ass is burning over this project. What has everybody burning is people like you coming here and condescending to our opinions. You say “just give your opinion” in this post, but in prior posts you say that our opinions aren’t worth a dime. Which is it man?
You display this attitude that everyone who does not adore this home must be a renter (and you use the word renter like an insult…why do you hate renters?). You also act like people who don’t like the architecture are small-minded and incapable of appreciating hard work or art.
We do respect other people’s hard work. I think the builder worked hard on this and has talent. I want to congratulate him on completing this difficult task. I just don’t like the home. Just because someone works hard doesn’t give them license to overcharge for that work. I genuinely think the home is overpriced. Do you really think it’s a good price? If so, then why aren’t you purchasing it? Maybe because you are the one trying to sell it?
You say “I do not know those builders, neither met them.” With respect, I don’t believe you. You seem WAY too emotionally invested in this project and it shows through your posting. If you don’t know them (or if you aren’t one of the builders) then why are you spending so much time attacking people who have anything negative to say about the house?
By the way, don’t tell me what topic and subject to post about. Apparently you completely missed the point of my grammar comment (not surprised). You came here treating other posters like they are unintelligent and like their opinion isn’t worth a dime because they don’t have the credentials. The grammar comment was to point out that maybe you aren’t as superior as you try to act. I challenge you to read the entire comment and respond.
Did anyone else catch the irony in the two statements in the same post?
(1) I think you are more stupid than anyone else.
(2) Calling people stupid shows your weakness and inferiority.
Based on Rey’s post I would guess English is not his first language. Perhaps he DOES know the owners. Gee,I’m not sure…
I love the vision and the initiative of the Abaii brothers. We’re in the 21st Century, and style and innovation is sorely needed in O.C. Why should we continue living in accordance with the ignorant rules of the “lowest common denominator”? If the Abaii house stands out, it is in part because the older, tacky homes around it need razing. Aren’t we all better off today that Theo Van Gogh supported his brother Vicenent’s painting, despite that most other people of the their time thought Vincent Van Gogh’s work was an eyesore, and not worth buying? Today, Vincent Van Gogh is considered a genius. Thank God for real artists. It takes guts.
Hi Brian,
It seems like that if anyone supproting these builders or the article are either family members (As one of the readers refer them to brother/cousin), or an investor himself/herself who wants to sell this project (according to you). You mentioned that I am emotionally attached to this project. Actually, I am always emotionally attached to people who spend lots of their time and effort on their work. And I am always a big supporter of hard working people. Yes, I do give either my positive or negative opinions to people’s project but with respect. But, what bothers me the most is that people calling others name. In my OPINION people who calling others name and insulting other’s hard work, either they have not taken risks in their life time or have gotten things easily.
Yes, I called that guy more stupid, because of his comment. Him calling these guys stupid is NOT an opinion is an insult. (I, guess, now you are accusing me as being one of the builders or a family members.)
Now, answering your question about if this house is a good price or not. I am not hear to judge about the price. I would leave that up to the buyer/s, agents and the sellers.
About the project itself, there were some readers reffering to houses and projects in Coronal Del Mar and Newport Beach. In my opinion, if there is a chance to upgrade a building, and maximize the square footage and come up with different design to the older neighborhood, let’s the homeowners do it. Yes, look at Corona Del Mar, Newport Beach, still you see some evidences of older built homes. Coronal Del Mar and Newport Beach was not like this 15 or 20 years ago. And today, Corona Del Mar is one of the most prestigeous neighborhood and city in the State. What is wrong with upgrading and progressing in life and lifstyle? Even, in Corona Del Mar there are some good looking desin, some O.K. design and some not too good of a design. That is what makes it so intereting and unique. Among those newly designed homes we still see some older built homes. Idrive to Corona Del Mar, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach at least 2 to 3 times per week. And, still I admire all different architectures. That is what gives the city its beauty.
I beleive what these builders have done here in Irivne is the first step for different design in that particular neighborhood. And, in my opinion that will give the rest of the neigbors a chance to redesign their houses and hopefully, that neighborhood becomes another Corona Del Mar, and Newport Beach. What is worng with that. I live in Irvine myself. And I like to see different architectures.
What I fail to understand is why someone would pay $1.5 million to sit virtually on top of their neighbor on a 5800 sqft lot. That goes double for fools who would pay $3.5 million to live in 5500 sqft true mansions that are still only 10 feet from their neighbor in places like the Crystal Cove developments in Newport Beach.
I really feel like people will want both larger homes AND larger lots in the next 10 years, possibly prompting people to move to older areas where 10,000 sqft lots are more prevelant and doing their tear downs there. It may also contribute to more poeple leaving the area altogether for larger lots in other areas of the country.
Building a 4500 Sqft home on a 5800 sqft lot is plain silly IMHO regardless of what the neighborhood standard is. No backyard, no front yard, no side yard, maybe a couple hundred sqft patio crammed in somewhere. I would rather have my 1200 sqft rancher on my 5500 sqft lot than this monstrosity.
D
Why is the Realtor not responding?
Geez! The house is not that bad. I didnt realize it was so close to my work until yesterday on my lunch break I drove by. It is right on a major street with heavy traffic, and honestly I wouldnt have even noticed it being any different unless I had read this article. Its a free country people! If someone wants to fork over 1 mil for this thing..let it happen, and instead of putting them down, do something to your own house. Many of the homes in this trac could use some improvement, if you know what I mean. You are in Irvine…gotta keep up with the Jones next door
I am so happy every day when I get on the freeway and travel back to North county…
Did someone really compare this silly looking building to VanGogh’s art? I’ll cut off my ear and send it to the architect if anyone pays the asking price for this. It couldn’t look more out of place. Irvine could use some color and variety for sure,but this is not it.
Kir Kirloft — many thanks for the support and for debating in a civilized fashion.
Nancy - As it so happens I pursued a different career track after graduating with my BS in Architecture. Not that it matters to our discussion here, but I grew increasingly disillusioned with the profession and frankly I didn’t fancy going poor while trying to build a clientele. Instead I leveraged my other love for computer technology and I’ve been fortunate to have been very successful designing complex data and voice networks for a Fortune 10 company. For the record, my specialization was residential architecture. How about you?
Now just because I haven’t designed or built anything (with the exception of my own home remodel which will remain anonymous for obvious reasons) doesn’t disqualify my critique. I think I’ve earned the right to offer my opinions and I’m certainly qualified to do so. I ask again, how about you? So what do you say we have a debate on-topic rather than comparing penis size? I challenge you to rebut my comments rather than assail my qualifications. That’s a classic debate subterfuge, when you can’t debate the facts, besmirch the bearer. (And the average joe wonders why politics and civil discourse have broken down.)
Rey - I challenge you to show me where in my critique I called the builder or designer stupid. Another classic bush-league tactic, put words in my mouth and make up things. What are we, five year olds tossing names and slurs around? Grow up. I’ll say to you what I said to Nancy, debate the facts and make a reasoned argument and let’s drop the character assassination, shall we.
Let me reiterate my central point. One can break with convention and chart a bold new course but the person who does so must be willing to endure the criticism and defend their position. More central is that they must also be absolutely confident they’ve not left on single stone unturned for I can assure you, the weakness will be expose. As it has here. I find the designer’s bold moves on this house admirable and refreshing. I don’t argue that Irvine could use a new direction architecturally, in fact I applaud it. However, to display a near lack of sensitivity to the surroundings and the sensibilities of the populace is to proceed at your own peril. ESPECIALLY if you’re going to ask $1.5MM for the thing. You’d better be damn sure you did your homework.
To James the Architect,
If you scroll up you will see there was another reader by the name James not you. Actually, his statement is right below your statement this morning. I do not think that I argued about your professionalism.
Your statement and the other James’ statement are totally different with different language. And for sure I know it was not you.
Rey - My mistake and my apologies. Thank you for pointing out my error.
For what it’s worth … I have seen the house in person and there are some very nice details. It’s too bad about the site choice as I fear that is most what damages it’s acceptance. FLW’s “Fallingwater” house wouldn’t be nearly as amazing nor as brilliant if he had chosen to build it in let’s say Detroit. Rather proves the old axiom about location, location, location.
Enjoy the weekend.
I think it’s a very good-looking house. It stands out, but since when is that a bad thing. Many of you state that it’s nice but not for this area just because it doesn’t “fit in.” This is the contemporary style of the new generation and because something is the first, does not necessarily mean it’s wrong. It takes one house like this to be built for them to begin popping up across Irvine, I’m not saying it will happen overnight but with time I believe more and more of Irvine will begin accepting and implementing this look. I think it’s a great looking house. Congratulations Sean!
Hopefully, this project inspires others to go into this neighborhood, buy up an old home, and refurbish it. As it stands now, the home is out of place. But I believe it serves as a harbinger of change, hopefully, inspiring other investors to do the same with the other homes nearby.
Obviously, if the rest of the neighborhood never improves, then this home is going to have problems selling for more than 20% above the rest of the neighborhood. People with that sort of money would rather have the location to fit in with the home. The sellers are looking for that unique buyer who has an extra $500,000 lying about but desperately wants to live in that subdivision.
i live down the street. and yes we need to move forward. beautiful house (but a ridiculous sore thumb)
but i cant even save electricity by having a low-water landscape or line-dry my clothes without the HOA screaming at us! talk about moving ahead.
and PS: some people cannot afford to make a million dollar renovation.
every time i go to the store now i am reminded of what “i” have to do now for our home…how about just living in it??
We all should take pride in our homes and do the best we can with upkeep, but we don’t have to be trying to out-do each other ! Perhaps this is why many in OC are stressed to the limit ? I believe it is vitally important to live BELOW your means. The old addage of ‘Buy the least expensive house in the best neighborhood with the best schools’ fits University Park to a tee. I could afford to buy this Angell house, but why would I ? Who do I need to impress ? The property tax alone for this $1.4 mil house would be at least $14,000 a year….that’s half my current annual housing expenditure, inclusive of my property tax. Rather than putting my money into an extravagant shelter, I prefer to live modestly and invest for the future. My invesments pay me dividends and interest and take the financial pressure off of living in OC. Doesn’t this make more sense than buying a crazy expensive house ? It’s a free country, buy away, but unless you’ve got money to burn, don’t be surprised when your quality of life declines.
Oh dear God! Ego’s need to be fed with this one, but I won’t feed into any of this “ugly thing”…built in a neighborhood where elevations have some conformity except for this. It just should never be.
I am not against the idea of putting larger and nicer houses in older neigborhoods. I like all the tastefully done new mansions in the Karen & Richard Carpenter’s old Downey neighborhood of Downey. But, to me, this house is just too extreme. It sure stands out, but not really in a good way! Something a little less glaring would have helped establish a remodeling trend here. It’s style appeals to a very limited group of buyers even with the right setting. It looks like the Southwestern ultra-modern style you might find in Arizona or Palm Springs, but is very-out-of-character here. I’m not sure of the logic of putting large pictures windows in to take in the street traffic and shopping center. It will take a very bold individual to live in this house!
Great garage door, 1st thing to replace after spending 1.5mil…. got cheap
As an Architect, I never like to critisize a collegue who has given and earnest effort to to be creative.
My only thought here is did anyone run the math before they did this venture? The site appears to be the least desireable one in the neighborhood, being in the line of headlights coming out of the shopping center and the corner lot has little privacy. To assume you can build something with a value over 2 times the average price range is a standard tract is just nuts, no matter the quality of the home. It also seems like they try to put 10 pounds of stuff in a 5 pound bag.
My last comment, get a real garage door, that home depot knock off cost you 250k in appearance.