66 DIGS.NET
| 3.24.23
S W E E T D I G S | 6 0 0 8 T H S T R E E T
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here's a manicured greenbelt
running through the heart of Manhat-
tan Beach, offering a spacious park
setting in the midst of the bustling
beach town. Only a few blocks south
of Downtown, on the corner of 8th Street,
there's a Hill Section property neatly rising
above the town, offering an energized panorama
of blue ocean. Dressed up with green trees,
the mountainous silhouette of Palos Verdes
Peninsula and a boundless blue sky, it's a post-
card-perfect site that's been ideally captured in
a home design, named The Frame House, by
standout architecture firm KAA Design.
"If you wanted to plant yourself in a location
that gives you a taste of everything, it would be
this," real estate agent Jeremy Shelton says of
the address: 600 Eighth Street. There's easy
walkability to town and beach, both reached
in less than 10 minutes; and instant access to
nature with the adjacent greenbelt and its easy-
going walking paths. "The property faces due
West so you get an incredible amount of natu-
ral light all day long, all year round," the agent
adds: "Plus, the orientation and slope of the lot
provide some sneaky ocean views."
Views that, along with a constant filter of
glowing California beach light, are a constant
in the design for a planned residence that's in
the process of being built. With 6 bedrooms
and 8 bathrooms, the contemporary residence
was designed by KAA partner Duan Tran. As
lead principal architect on the project, working
with a team that included a dedicated land-
scape architect, Tran spun the property into a
resort-like atmosphere that makes the most of
the 7,600-square-foot lot.
"One of the intriguing things about this proj-
ect for us was that it was not a typical property,"
the architect points out, citing the trapezoidal
shape of the land, along with the proximity to
neighboring green spaces, and a near-absence
of direct neighbors: "On a project like this, we
found a way to capitalize on all of those odd
spaces on the property so they became usable."
The design features approximately 6,000
square feet of airy living and entertaining
spaces within an expert flow of crisp interior
and exterior spaces. Baldwin Construction, a
regular partner of the architectural firm, and
responsible for building many custom luxury
homes in the Beach Cities and Palos Verdes,
has completed the foundation. "Baldwin is
exceptional when it comes to technical builds,
which KAA homes often are," remarks Shelton.
The home's detailed plan emphasizes open,
urbane living spaces starting on the third
floor, where you take in color-soaked sunsets
and high-altitude views of the horizon from
the sprawling primary suite. "Because you're
situated so high above Ardmore Avenue, you
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