The same city. Two completely different project briefs. A Sand Section walk street lot near 8th Street runs 1,350 square feet total. A compact plunge with an integrated spa delivers the outdoor water experience within the footprint — if the design resolves the relationship between the shell, the patio, and the planting from the start. A full-size installation on this lot leaves no room for anything else.
A Hill Section estate off Laurel Avenue carries 7,500 square feet or more. Elevated terrain, natural grade toward the canyon below, and Catalina views that a negative edge can frame across the water. The structural engineering required for a hillside shell in this setting — soil bearing analysis, drainage calculations, and structural plans — is as consequential as the design itself.
Coastal Materials — What Holds and What Does Not
Within two blocks of the Pacific in the Sand Section, outdoor materials face year-round salt air and coastal wind.What holds: natural travertine, limestone, sealed concrete properly specified and maintained, powder-coated hardware with marine-grade coatings, and saltwater chlorination systems that reduce equipment corrosion compared to traditional chlorine. What corrodes: standard powder-coated aluminum, unsealed concrete, galvanized hardware, and any wood component not rated for coastal exposure. We specify the full material palette for your property’s actual coastal exposure level — not a generic South Bay standard
Construction Methods We Use
Gunite Design and Construction
Gunite is the standard method for permanent in-ground builds in Manhattan Beach. Concrete applied over a rebar framework — any shape the site and design require. Formal rectangular designs suit Hill Section estates with formal garden compositions. Naturalistic freeform shapes suit constrained Sand Section lots and smaller footprints. We design from the site conditions up
Negative Edge and Infinity Construction
Elevated Hill Section properties with unobstructed Catalina views are ideal for this. The water plane appears to dissolve into the horizon. This requires a structural catch basin below the water edge, drainage routing down the slope, and precise engineering of the shell edge elevation. Structural plans precede any excavation.
Compact Designs for Smaller Lots
A 12-foot by 20-foot plunge-and-spa unit on a walk street lot near 10th Street delivers the outdoor water feature the property needs — within a footprint that still allows covered seating and a planting border. We have built throughout the Sand Section on constrained properties
Sand Section vs. Hill Section — Two Design Briefs
Sand Section — Constrained lots, coastal exposure, walk street rules.
The design challenge on Sand Section properties is delivering an outdoor water environment within a tight footprint while keeping the remaining yard functional. Compact gunite shapes, plunge designs, and spa-only installs on walk street lots near Marine Avenue suit this context. Coastal zone properties west of Valley Drive require a Coastal Development Permit alongside City permits. Salt air near The Strand demands materials specified for coastal exposure throughout — shell, coping, deck surface, and planting.
Hill Section — Slope, views, and hillside engineering.
A negative edge on a Hill Section property that aligns with the Catalina view axis is one of the most compelling outdoor features in the South Bay. Getting it right requires structural plans showing soil bearing capacity, drainage routing for the catch basin below the property line, and geotechnical review where site conditions warrant it. We produce all of this before permit applications are filed. Hillside builds that discover structural requirements after submission lose weeks and money.
Coastal Materials — What Holds and What Does Not
Within two blocks of the Pacific in the Sand Section, outdoor materials face year-round salt air and coastal wind. What holds: natural travertine, limestone, sealed concrete properly specified and maintained, powder-coated hardware with marine-grade coatings, and saltwater chlorination systems that reduce equipment corrosion compared to traditional chlorine. What corrodes: standard powder-coated aluminum, unsealed concrete, galvanized hardware, and any wood component not rated for coastal exposure. We specify the full material palette for your property’s actual coastal exposure level — not a generic South Bay standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Hill Section sloped lot support in-ground construction?
Do Sand Section coastal zone properties need extra permits?
What materials hold up near The Strand?
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