For all of us, starting a new year always brings fresh hope for exciting and positive change. Perhaps more than ever before in history, people all across the world are facing challenges and realizing the importance of change within all aspects of their daily lives. The call for change can be observed in the re-structuring of all facets of the life we live, from our local and global economies, to our political structures, to our security risks, to our culture, to our health and wellness, to our value systems and on and on. On a very positive note, we are being called to move away from fear and doubt drivers into acceptance, compassion and more thoughtful solutions that bring value and benefit to all. And so, in spite of the challenge we feel from upheaval and shifts in systems formed by prior generations and leadership structures, we are at a wonderful time in the history of our planet with huge opportunity to shape the future onto a positive course. If we embrace change and allow our creative spirit to flourish, then the 2012 year ahead will be very good indeed!

Structure Home has embraced change with outstretched arms by 1) implementing systems to support the legacy of our company with sustainable organizational architecture, 2) working diligently to improve and refine the service we provide through our "Journey Systems" and

3) leading change in our industry with building science, green and healthy construction as our highest priority. With the tremendous support of a loyal client base, the VISION House Los Angeles project with Green Builder Media and two premier properties in development on Anita Avenue in prime Brentwood, Structure is very excited to share a wonderful new year. These accomplishments are only possible because of the support, hard work and dedication that Structure Home garners from a dedicated community...a professional staff of passionate builders, a broad base of talented design consultants, vendors and craftsman as well as the continual loyalty of clients and friends. In addition to the pride we take in every Structure Home delivered, the value of the relationships we have built is a source of abundant gratitude and fulfillment. We wish you all...an inspired and growthful 2012!

Exciting New Home Opportunity...Structure offers two homes in prime Brentwood!

Certain properties have an ambiance that is magical...a serenity and peace, a garden-like immersion which creates a quality of life that is not possible to describe. And when the location is just right, we know we have something very special to offer. Structure Home recently acquired two 10,000 square foot lots on South Anita Avenue in Brentwood, in the highly coveted neighborhood between Sunset and San Vicente Boulevards. Each property will be rebuilt with a beautifully conceived custom home designed by the respected architectural firm, Studio William Hefner.

Both properties are relatively larger lots for this highly desired neighborhood and offer privacy and views as a result of unique topographical quality and personality. The homes designed each contain approximately 5,000 sq. ft. of living area thoughtfully taking full advantage of the natural terrain unique to each property. The preliminary architectural characters developed by Studio Hefner for the homes are Contemporary Coastal Traditional and French Mediterranean, respectively.

We are very excited to introduce the homes on a preferred basis to the Structure Community, with a special value proposition, wherein a purchaser will have the opportunity to acquire a property and customize the design with a cost-guaranteed agreement from Structure to build the home. In this manner, an owner can get favorable value advantage and be able to customize the current plans to suit their specific design preferences and functional needs. More detailed informational package including imagery and plans for these wonderful new Structure Homes and further details about these new custom homes in Brentwood are available. Please contact Robert at (818) 598-1330, ext. 102 or email Robert@StructureHome.com. And remember that any referral, resulting in a sale, will entitle you and your referred friend to the Structure Home rewards described below in the Quarterly Blueprint.

Another Off-Market Property for Sale in Brentwood...

Structure Home has an exclusive offering to bring to your attention! One of our friends has asked us to help market a tear-down property in Brentwood. The property is a 7,400 sq. ft. lot on a cul-de-sac off Gretna Green Avenue which is not listed at this time. If this opportunity is of interest to you or a friend, Structure Home can deliver a beautiful custom home, approximately 3,500 to 4,000 sq. ft. in size, for a combined land and home packaged price in the $2.7 - $2.85 million. For more information please contact Robert at (818) 598-1330, ext 102. Again, any referral, resulting in a sale, will entitle you and your referred friend to the Structure Home rewards.

Sustainability Day at VISION House® Los Angeles Project.- Get Responsible Event.

The first VISION House educational event, a Sustainability Day "Behind the Walls", was held at the home on January 12 and was an extremely well-attended, successful event and launch to many others planned in the coming year. Sustainability Day started with an open house educational tour of the home and finished with a sustainability forum with students, faculty and interested people from the UCLA Anderson School of Business through the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA.

Ron Jones of Green Builder Media® as well as Glen MacDonald (Director of UCLA Institute of Environment and Sustainability and Professor of Geography Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) spoke at the afternoon forum. A number of sustainable and energy efficient products of the VISION House® Los Angeles were featured to support the educational day including an hydronic radiant heating system throughout the floors of the home, high efficiency air-condensing equipment, solar thermal/tankless water heating, a 7 kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) system integrated into the energy system, reflective cool roof, live planted roof, PEX water distribution lines (PEX tubing exceeds the life cycle of copper and uses less energy), high performing windows, spray foam and spider blown in insulation (contains 25% recycled content that is certified by Scientific Certification Systems), SMART irrigation… thermostat… audio and video controls, efficient lighting systems, drought tolerant landscaping, and more! The wood throughout the house is procured through Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). The home will be using GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified® Gypsum utilizing recycled wall board and paper. The plaster in the home will contain recycled cement content. In addition, twenty percent of Fly Ash was used in the foundation concrete mix that was already poured over a Stegowrap vapor barrier to complement the building's tight exterior envelope and provide maximum protection and for the VISION House Los Angeles...all of which contribute to the sustainable quality of this magnificent new Structure Home.

If you would like to learn more about the sponsors behind the project, click here. If you are interested in reading the story about how the VISION House® developed, click here. To download educational materials from G.E.T. Responsible - Sustainability Day click here. To read weekly blog posts about the home, click here. If you would like to see more images of the ongoing development, be sure to view pictures from our time lapse camera, and our Facebook page.

Leading By Example: Energy Conservation

Structure Home is a corporate partner of the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability (IoES). We were recently honored to be invited to join UCLA IoES and other corporate partners in an "Energy Conservation Strategies: What Can We Gain?" Workshop. Robert Kleiman gave a PowerPoint presentation called "Leading By Example" and presented the VISION House® Los Angeles project. If you would like to download the PowerPoint slides as a pdf file, please click here.

Structure Home supported 7 year old Emma Wood in the Stop Cancer Run|Walk.?

Thank you to everyone who supported Team Emma at the Stop Cancer Run|Walk. The event was a huge success. Emma had a wonderful time and her team of 145 participants raised over $22,000! Emma was recently diagnosed with Leukemia and is the 7 year old daughter of Jody and Nathan Wood of Aggressive Sash and Door, a valued Structure subcontractor.

We have posted a few event pictures on the Structure Home Facebook page and the Stop Cancer website has some as well. Emma is an inspiration to all of us...and we wish the Wood family our very best.

Habitat for Humanity American Dream Walk

Thank you to everyone who supported Structure Home in the Habitat for Humanity American Dream Team Walk. In addition to raising over $1,000, it was a special honor to attend the event and witness six families receiving keys to brand new homes. The money raised helps provide quality affordable home ownership for low-income hard-working families.

Social Media

There are a number of projects and activities that Structure Home is working on. You can view pictures and stay updated on the social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Vimeo! We would love for you to share your photos, your homebuilding experience, and/or comment on any of our tweets or posts. Updates and posts will also be kept on the Structure Home Website and the Green Builder Media VISION House Los Angeles Website.

It's a Girl!

Jazmin Guzman (Administrative Assistant) and her husband Gustavo Adame are proud to announce the arrival of Leah Emma Adame. She was born on Sunday, October 16, 2011, weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounce and measuring 19 inches long. Their other daughter Mia is now an official big sister! As you can see from the photo, Leah (in her Structure Home onesie) and Mia are two precious and adorable girls.

We welcome this new life on the Structure team!

Structure Home Playhouse

On November 13, 2011, the Structure Home Playhouse, which was featured in the Pacific Palisades Fourth of July Parade, was raffled off at the Pacific Palisades Junior Women's Club Home Tour Event. Congratulations to Cindy Brody who won the playhouse and generously donated it to Marquez Charter Elementary School in Pacific Palisades! All proceeds from the Home Tour Event go to the Pacific Palisades Junior Women's Club (PPJWC), which financially supports several local non-profit organizations.

"Whatever good things we build end up building us." Jim Rohn

Project Update by Cindy McClure, Project Manager.

My current Structure Home projects are located in Brentwood and Pacific Palisades. One client home in Brentwood is English Tudor architectural style and was recently completed. The interior of the home is filled with unique wood arches, a stamped metal kitchen ceiling, wonderful old-world fireplaces, a home movie theater, hand-carved English pub, a complete gym, and then some. The finished home exceeded everyone's expectations and we patiently look forward to an invitation to join the owners in their gorgeous new dream home. Cheers!

Another custom home located in Pacific Palisades is also near completion. This is a traditional Americana style of architecture with touches of Craftsman and includes a wrap around porch to compliment the corner lot condition. I love the finishes throughout the home including an awesome tongue and groove wood ceiling treatment and a Zen-like master bathroom that makes you feel like you are relaxing at a spa. In addition, the client's had a vision of authenticating the stone column bases at the exterior loggia fireplace with a 1920 prairie style. It is great to see another client's vision come to life! In addition, this was another successful project that finished ahead of schedule.

I am also managing another great project in Pacific Palisades on Alma Real which is an East Coast traditional custom home with contemporary interior accents and will contain 5,200 sq. ft. of livable area. The foundation has been poured and the framing is well underway...the new design has taken shape. The home is located on a property that is large and beautiful with gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean. The framing is always an exciting point in a project's development and I look forward to bringing this client's vision to life as well as seeing the incredible new views and second floor sunsets.

Project Update by Karyn Clark, Project Manager

I am currently working on a LEED-certified home in Brentwood for a beautiful family who has just welcomed a new baby boy in the month of November. Accomplishing the LEED qualifications with Greenform consultants requires a collaborative effort and attention to detail to ensure the building science objectives established for this project have been achieved. We are rapidly moving from the rough framing stage into the finish stages of the construction process. The homeowners have thoughtfully approached the proper integration of the mechanical components of their home to ensure peak comfort, security, and performance that will stand the test of time. This contemporary home will also be a stunning and artistic contemporary home...a wonderful addition to the neighborhood.

In Pacific Palisades, the VISION House Los Angeles project completed framing, insulation and drywall has begun. The two-story energy-efficient and sustainable home stands proud and the upstairs overlooks peaceful ocean views. The home, located in Pacific Palisades, is part of the Green Builder Media VISION House Series. The VISION project has evolved into a home that incorporates the best of design and product innovation that is sure to complement the neighborhood. Several educational events are planned to share this demonstration home with the community, schools and the various trade groups. There is so much to be said about VISION House Los Angeles! Be sure to read more under the Structure Home News or follow the VISION House blog to get additional details and/or learn more about building sustainably.

Project Update by Jeff Rubin, Project Manager.

My current projects are located in Westwood, Brentwood , Cheviot Hills, and Hidden Hills. We recently completed a beautiful home in Westwood that is a traditional Americana architectural style. The clients moved in and just love their new home. They have already been approached by several people interested in purchasing their newly completed custom home, which is not on the market. Once a one-story with only a wood deck as a yard has been transformed into a two-story residence with a daylight basement, a pool and a sport court!

The clients maximized the use of their lot with improvements that take advantage of every square inch of the property…bringing meaning to "Whole Lot Living". The clients also gained new and scenic views from the second floor that they were not expecting.

Another client has worked with designer Karen Putman from P2 Design to create a beautiful, traditional New England architectural style for their new home in Brentwood. The owner's purchased a contoured and beautiful property in Brentwood to build their dream home. A thoughtful approach to creating interest, the relationship between the natural grade of the property and the homes interior, has resulted in a very special aesthetic and a home we are all very proud of. Superintendent, Wally Steinert, is well ahead of schedule on this project. This home is moving through the journey with fantastic results in terms of both efficiency and quality.

We are also beginning the installation of cabinets and finishes in a client's new home located in Cheviot Hills. The home planned is a Transitional architectural style that combines contemporary styling with hints of traditional Craftsman design. This project has special meaning to me as I grew up in this neighborhood and my best friend in elementary school lived across the street from the property. I have many great memories spending time in this neighborhood and it feels so good to be back.

We are also in the final permitting stages of a new residence in the gated community of Hidden Hills. Plans have been developed for an incredible 7,700 sq. ft. home with a detached 700 sq. ft art studio/gym designed by George De La Nuez. The plans and specification for this gracious and expansive home, situated on a one acre flat property, will certainly assure this home to be one of our finest homes. Landscape plans have been designed by Stephanie Ann Davis and the home's interiors are being designed by Tracy Allison, both of whom have a reputation for extraordinary work in the Hidden Hills community. It is exciting to work with this wonderful new team on a project of this stature. Construction is expected to begin in February of 2012.

"As we decided to move forward

with our construction project, we were cautiously optimistic as Structure seemed too good to be true. Like most people, we had heard many construction horror stories. When we broke ground, we were concerned about how much of a time drain this project would be. We were both busy and had 2 year old twins. Largely because of Structure’s planning process, attention to detail and concern for their work, our home was built ahead of schedule (11 months) and on budget. Unlike other new construction sites in our neighborhood, each day our house moved closer to completion. The house never stood idle. We learned during construction that our third child was on the way. The expected completion date for our project became increasingly more important.

Structure’s ability to manage the subcontractors and the overall management of the established timeline was superb. They went above and beyond, especially when they helped solve some challenging and complex permit-related issues. Their problem solving ability, creative thinking and experience building homes on the Westside, helped accomplish what didn’t seem possible at times.

Their service and accountability didn’t stop after our move-in day. A few weeks after we moved, it poured overnight. At 7am the next morning, Structure’s superintendent proactively showed up at our doorstep to inspect the home for any rain-related issues. We’re glad we met Bob and Mark and that it wasn’t too good to be true. They were both responsive throughout and they truly care about the client experience. We consider them not just our builders but also our friends. We feel like we found a gem and highly recommend their work.” - D and K Romans

Waterproofing and Underlayment

Revisiting important construction techniques is something we often do at Structure Home. We can never stress enough the value of implementing the best possible building science practices when it comes to waterproofing and underlayment for your home. A homeowner enjoys the beauty of the finishes (such as tile, stone or wood flooring) and has often spent a great deal of time and money selecting the right colors and quality of those materials. The same effort and consideration should be spent on preparing bathrooms and floors to accept these finishes to avoid premature cracking or water damage.

Waterproofing and crack prevention systems made by companies such as DITRA™ by Schluter or DUROCK™ by USG, provide a good measure of protection against water damage, expansion, and contraction, which naturally occurs as a house settles.

Both product examples can be viewed on the links provided below; there are many other systems on the market that can provide equal protection. A homeowner should always ask their installer what they recommend for the materials and conditions present in the home before a scope of work is agreed upon.

http://www.schluter.com/6_1_ditra.aspx
http://www.durocktilemembrane.com

1st Century Bank

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