It was 1997 when my client declared, " I want the finest house in the region ".  From that point on until it was finished some 8 years later, "Suncatch" was the experience of a lifetime.  What was created, as so many people have exclaimed since its opening in 2005, was one of the great houses of the 21st century.

This edifice was born because the architect was left alone to think, dream and create a masterwork with no pressure, a luxury rarely found in the architectural profession. The architect has been with his client for twenty years, a relationship bonded like no other.

The spaces consists of fifty four thousand square feet of structure with twenty six thousand four hundred square feet of living space and the remaining footage for the Ferrari collection at the lower level of the house.  One half million board feet of clear vertical grain Douglas fir was used for the ceilings, floors, cabinets, doors, fascia and trim.  Materials used to create the structure were porphyry stone, poured in place concrete, steel and glass. The architecture nestles on 30 acres in the prestigious area of Rancho Santa Fe, California one of the most exclusive locations in the nation. Lush gardens, palm canyons, creative water features, succulent gardens, formal maze and hidden meditation getaways fill the site. The facilities include an equestrian stable, cantilevered clay tennis court and a one hundred twenty five foot long swimming pool in blue mosaic Italian glass tile.

The Residence houses a fine art collection of works by Motherwell, Magritte, Picasso, George Rickey, Barry Flannigan, Deborah Butterfield, Botero, Jim Dine, to mention a few. Fine art by the architect consists of all the leaded glass in the home, custom ironwork, fireplace grates, screens, tools with future elements of design consisting of wood serving pieces, china, sterling, and custom furniture.

"Suncatch", an original Southern California architecture has been created for one of the nations most prominent individuals and his wife. Since its opening in September 2005, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised by and for non-profit cultural and civic foundations in the San Diego area of Southern California.

Norm Applebaum Architect
August 12, 2006