“In order to build this 10,000-square-foot estate along the oceanfront in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the homeowners had to give eight of their original 12 acres of property to the national preservation trust.” Excerpts from House of Extremes Article by William Kissel When a designer and his wife wanted to build their dream house on the oceanfront Florida lot where their current home sat, they didn’t relish the inconvenience of packing and moving into temporary housing while their property was under construction. So they asked their ¬contractor, Steve Paskoski of Fort Lauderdale, if he could figure out a way to build the new 12,000-square-foot house “around and over” the existing 3,000-square-foot structure so they wouldn’t have to move. “It essentially looked like an egg inside a box; it was an incredible challenge,” recalls Paskoski, a leading high-end Palm Beach luxury home builder. “Once we had the new house built over and above, we took the roof off of the existing house and ran the walls up 5 or 6 feet — ultimately connecting it spaceship like to the floor of the hovering structure — so you would never know it was two homes at one time,” says the big-ticket contractor, adding that such unusual requests are no longer an anomaly but the new norm in luxury-home building. Meanwhile, Paskoski went to great heights, literally, to create a 20,000-square-foot home at St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida.,. “The homeowner saw this picture of a honeycomb in a magazine and wanted it recreated in the house,” says Paskoski, who, in the tradition of Addison Mizner, handcrafted the spectacular ceiling design out of 300-year-old pecky cypress 25 feet above the home’s expansive family room. Paskoski also installed a pneumatic glass-cylinder elevator — like those once used in offices and banks to transport documents across the room. “He didn’t want an elevator because he’s very fit and athletic for a man over 80. But I convinced him that he would never go to the office after the first time if we didn’t put something like this in,” recalls Paskoski. The lakefront estate was later voted “house of the year” by the Construction Association of South Florida and helped establish Paskoski as one of the top 500 residential contractors in the U.S. by Qualified Remodelers magazine and recognized as the most trusted Palm Beach luxury custom builder. For Paskoski, just getting a house built across the country posed its own sort of challenges. “We just finished a 10,000-square-foot oceanfront estate in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I’m in Fort Lauderdale, so that was interesting, supervising a job that far away as a hard-working Palm Beach custom home builder,” he says. “We built a house for this couple down here, and they wanted someone they could trust in Massachusetts, so they hired us. I hired some local trades for the mechanicals, but for the finish trades, I had people drive up from Florida and had to put them up from week to week in order to complete the project.” The job ended up being an uphill battle for both contractor and homeowner. “The homeowner originally bought 12 acres, and he was forced to give eight of those acres to the national preservation trust just for the privilege of building on the oceanfront property,” says Paskoski. Paskoski’s current project in Coral Gables, Florida, though, is among his most complex. “When we started, it was 80 pages of drawings and now we’re up to 400,” he says of the future 17,000-square-foot home. “Every time we turn around, the homeowners and their architects are growing the project. But when it’s done, it will be one of the most unique homes ever built.” It is a bold statement to be sure for someone who has built some of America’s most spectacular estates. So, when the need comes to hire the best Palm Beach luxury home builder, you can visit https://paskoskiconstruction.com.
0 Comments
A custom home starts with an idea of what you want, to outwardly express your needs, desires, self image and lifestyle. That idea is usually first conveyed to your architect. While the architectural plans are being developed, the architect in turn solicits the talents of structural, mechanical, electrical and civil engineers. This is just the beginning! Soon after an interior designer and landscape architect are brought onboard, they join the process of working together with you, the architect and engineers to create your home on paper. At this time it is a good idea to also find a good South Florida custom home builder. Sometimes the process may even start with a reputable builder who can direct you to a team of architects and designers that he works well with. The builder can help guide and value engineer the process to your benefit. By being involved early on, a trusted South Florida custom home builder team can come to understand your wishes, price items along the way and help drive the process toward the desired budget. They will still bring competitive pricing by taking multiple bids from qualified subcontractors and suppliers. Since their fee is negotiated up front, you will know and approve what your home will cost before the contractor puts a shovel in the ground. A good Fort Lauderdale custom home builder has also surrounded himself with a good team. This starts in house with high quality office personnel and in the field with top notch supervision and project management. It extends to quality subcontractors and suppliers. A builder who is firm but fair with their subcontractors will get great cooperation in getting the job done and with pride in their work. A contractor, who represents their client well, instills a sense of common purpose to everyone working on the job. This engenders teamwork! Teamwork starts with good organization, good communication and a spirit of working toward a common goal. Technology has made this easier with the use of project management tools, conference calls and video conferencing. Information is fairly instant these days, making a smooth transition from an issue on the job site to a resolution. Instead of waiting for a site visit from the architect to resolve an issue, the use of photographs that can be sent instantly, marked up by the architect and sent back to the site, can facilitate problem solving on short notice. Cell phone video is also a useful tool for this purpose. A good Fort Lauderdale custom home builder will find conflicts in the many layers of drawings before construction. They will communicate this to the appropriate team members and problems are solved before they become costly. Regularly scheduled meetings and conference calls are a good way to discuss current issues and to make sure that everyone is on the same page. There are inevitably changes and it’s helpful to keep everyone up to date. Meeting notes are taken, reviewed by all and tasks are assigned with deadlines. This gives you confidence that your project is progressing efficiently. It keeps you involved in the decision making process and helps you to know when decisions on your part are due. Ultimately, the success of any custom home project will depend on a great team and great teamwork. With so many players involved, it is easy to point fingers when something goes wrong. A good team will work together to resolve issues that come up. This gives you comfort and reassurance in what could otherwise be a stressful undertaking. Building a custom home can be a positive and rewarding experience with the right team in place. In the end, great teamwork is a win-win for all involved! |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
March 2023
Categories
All
|