FLAGG COASTAL HOMES Background
Even if you’re unfamiliar with FLAGG COASTAL HOMES, chances are you’ve walked past their signature style homes here in Coronado, and thought, “Oh, how I’d love to live there!” John O’Brien, founder of FLAGG COASTAL HOMES, named his company after Ernest Flagg, the architect who designed several key buildings, including Bancroft Hall, at John’s alma mater, the United States Naval Academy, located in Annapolis, Maryland. When he first came to San Diego back in 1979, John worked as a commercial developer, constructing office and industrial buildings. After successfully building and selling two homes in Coronado, John came to the realization that constructing residential homes was his heart’s true calling, saying, “I like to get into the details, which residential construction allows much more than commercial developing.”
When John started FLAGG COASTAL HOMES in 1999, his focus was that of a speculative developer. “We built houses with investors and partners, and then we sold them,” he says. “What happened,” he continues, “is that we developed a branded look that we call a ‘coastal home.’ It’s a look that’s familiar along the Jersey Shore, New England out in the Capes, and the low country in South Carolina. That was the look we started with, and we’re now at forty-five homes in Coronado.”
Shift from Speculative Development to Design-Build
After selling about seven homes with his company’s branded coastal look, John shares, “People started asking us if we would design and build one for them.” It was at this point when John shifted the company’s focus from speculative development to what he calls “Design-Build;” instead of building homes, and then selling them once they were completed, FLAGG COASTAL HOMES instead began working with clients who wanted John’s company to design and build their dream coastal homes specifically for them.
“We started having a greater demand for Design-Build than we did for speculative projects,” John explains. As his Design-Build concept expanded, John searched for the perfect person who could help clients design the dream homes they envisioned. John contacted the NewSchool of Architecture and Design in San Diego, looking for someone who could add to the Design-Build caliber of FLAGG COASTAL HOMES. The NewSchool recommended Dorian Lytle, who graduated first in his class, and John says, “He’s been with me now for probably about twenty houses. He brings a real specialty to our service package in that he is readily familiar with a software called Revit®, where you can produce a very accurate rendering in a very short period of time.” According to its website, “Revit® software for BIM (Building Information Modeling) includes features for architectural design, MEP and structural engineering, and construction.”
Typically, John finds that most clients first want to know, “What’s my house going to look like from the street?” That’s where FLAGG COASTAL HOMES begins! John says, “People who come to us looking for a house design potentially have an image in their mind, and they get frustrated that it takes so long to get to that image. With Revit® and Dorian and the fact that we already have our branded look, we can get there very quickly, in two to four weeks. We can show clients very graphically what to expect.”
Whereas initially all FLAGG COASTAL HOMES were speculative homes, now four out of every five new FLAGG homes utilize Design-Build. “That’s a really different business for us,” John explains, “because that takes a whole different approach. We were comfortable with the direction we were going to take on our own, but now we have somebody else [the clients] driving the ship for us. It becomes a challenge as a speculative builder, but it’s one we’ve adapted to really well. Dorian is excellent with clients and quick to respond to their needs so Design-Build ends up being a very good delivery mechanism for clients who want to build a new house.”
Inside the Idea of Design-Build
The major advantage of Design-Build, according to John, “is that clients have all their answers with one group. They don’t work with an architect who does the design, and then have to find a contractor, who could very well then have a whole different approach.” Having one team, comparable to one-stop shopping, ensures that the budget stays on track. “Dorian knows what our product costs from the get-go because he’s designed so many of them,” John says. “He can lead the client along with an eye on budget right from the very beginning.”
“Our business started off as a developer,” he continues, “which means that we understand that for every dollar we spend as a developer, it has to be worth $1.20. Otherwise, we’re building and breaking even, or building and losing money, and if you do that a couple of times, you’re finished. We’re always looking for the best value for the product we’re delivering. We bring a lot of discipline to the table if the clients want discipline in regard to expenses because we have to have it for ourselves.” (Of course, some clients may not be as budget conscientious as others, choosing exactly what they want rather than what falls within a specific budget, and FLAGG COASTAL HOMES certainly doesn’t put any restrictions on them.)
Why is it important to John that everything related to a home designed and built by FLAGG COASTAL HOMES comes from within? “Unlike a regular builder, who will build anyone’s plans, we have built our own plans. That’s important to us because we’re able to control the brand and control the look,” John says.
FLAGG COASTAL HOMES provides a list of all the homes they’ve built in Coronado to potential customers so they can see for themselves the look that they want for their own home. Eight of those homes are located in Sunset Park, with seven of those properties utilizing the design-build offered by FLAGG COASTAL HOMES. Among the eight homes in Sunset Park where FLAGG has left its architectural imprint is John’s home. (“Of my own houses, my family and I have lived in four homes which we’ve designed and built,” John shares.)
In addition to the coastal look, John, who served on Coronado’s historic review board for four years, says, “Our other product line is restoring houses in town,” and notes that FLAGG has already restored ten historic homes. Six of those homes are affiliated with the Mills Act, which means, according to John, “We have to be really consistent with the original intent of the house.”
Thoughts on “Cookie-Cutter Houses” in Coronado
Often when there’s new construction here in the Crown City, townspeople who grew up here lament that “cookie-cutter” houses are diminishing the integrity of the Village. With his company’s branded look, John addresses the idea of building houses that all look identical, homes that lack the distinctive Coronado charm because they look exactly the same as other houses. “None of our houses of the forty-five are the same as any of our other houses. They’re all on different sized lots in different locations, facing different directions. Each of our homes is unique.”
As prospective clients admire the homes already built by FLAGG COASTAL HOMES sometimes they like a particular house so much that they ask John and his team to “do that again.” FLAGG COASTAL HOMES, however, isn’t interested in reinventing the wheel by constructing a twin to one of their previous homes. John and Dorian encourage clients to incorporate their own signature styles on their dream homes, choosing a different color siding and selecting other elements that are reflective of their clients’ tastes while still maintaining the same feel that made those specific homes their favorites. While it’s certainly a compliment that people want FLAGG to build an identical home to one they’ve fallen in love with, John wants to ensure that each of FLAGG COASTAL HOMES maintains its individual charm.
“We have developed a booklet, which has illustrated specs that show the level of quality clients can expect for their homes,” John says, “but they can pick things like their doors, their colors, etc. We advise them where we’ve found advantages of using specific doors, trims, and colors, but our clients are the ones who ultimately choose what they want.”
Front Porches
“Coronado up until about fourteen years ago,” John observes, “didn’t have a lot of front porches.” As zoning laws changed in Coronado, front porches no longer were included in the requirement that a house has to sit back twenty-five feet from the street, allowing porches to start at seventeen feet. FLAGG COASTAL HOMES have incorporated porches into its branded look, creating a welcoming look for its homes.
Top Ten Advantages of Design-Build
Dorian Lytle, who creates 3D models for clients, is passionate about Design-Build, which he refers to as “client-driven work”, listing the top ten advantages of why Design-Build is so good.
01. Everybody is on the same team.
“In a traditional format, you would go to a designer or an architect, and say, ‘Design me a house.’ The house would be designed, and then contractors would bid, and you’d pick one. Inevitably, there’s going to be finger pointing with, ‘Well, that wasn’t on the plan,’ or ‘That doesn’t work.’ There’s going to be something, and then there’s infighting between the contractor and the architect,” Dorian says.
He continues, “We can say, ‘This is what it will cost, and be really close because we’ve already designed and built so many houses. We can tell the clients up front what the costs will be. That’s huge because the client knows that the architect and contractor are on the same page in terms of expectations, especially with cost. That’s a huge comfort.”
For out of state clients who are perhaps building their second home here in Coronado, this is especially important because they only have to deal with one team.
02. Total Accountability
“For us, we’re constantly analyzing the cost. With a traditional Bid-Build setup, they’re going to say, ‘If it’s on the plans, then build it,’ never stopping to consider if there are more cost effective ways of doing it,” Dorian says.
FLAGG COASTAL HOMES tells potential clients, “One entity is accountable for everything – including how the end result looks, how much it costs and the timeline of completion. When the same group that designs the project also builds the project, there tends to be much more attention given to pricing and scheduling in the design phase. The cost of everything is taken into account early on in the process; all fees, construction costs, utilities, landscaping allowances – everything. Design-Build focuses on results, not excuses.”
03. Continuity
In a traditional Bid-Build scenario, the designer or architect would be required to show up once a month to check on the project as it’s built, but with FLAGG COASTAL HOMES’ Design-Build, Dorian, like all team members, is part of the day to day process of each project. As an example of how the continuity of services can be essential, he explains, “When you see things on paper or computer renderings, and then you see them in real life, you might realize, as you see a house framed, ‘If I had a foot more on that window, I could see Point Loma.’ We might not have known that as it was designed, but because we’re there continuously, we can say, ‘Let’s change it!’ That wouldn’t happen elsewhere.”
“If you toured each of the homes we’ve constructed, you would notice the same quality because it’s the same group of people from start to finish involved with the projects,” he adds.
04. Expertise
“Design-Build has become more popular, but if you’re a true Design-Build like we are, you’ve got experts at every post,” Dorian says.
FLAGG COASTAL HOMES promotes, “There is a tremendous advantage to working with designers that can think like builders and builders who can think like designers.”
05. Professional Guides
FLAGG COASTAL HOMES tells clients, “Design and construction shouldn’t be chaotic or stressful. A Design-Build firm is a beacon to clients throughout the process, guiding the way to the best possible outcome. Design-Build refines a system from beginning to end and manages the chaos into orderly steps.”
Dorian elaborates, “Everyone we have in-house is accessible to our clients. They can talk to us about anything, and we’re all involved in the process.”
06. Involvement
“Design-Build operates under the assumption that the clients actually want to be active and participate. It’s fun! It’s their dream house,” Dorian comments. “If I was building a dream house, I wouldn’t want to just hand over the reigns, and then come back when it was time for the builder to hand me the key. Without a doubt, clients have a say because they deserve a say.” He adds, “”I love when clients want to put their mark on it, after all, it’s their home.”
It’s evident that Dorian is committed to designing homes that reflect clients’ individual needs. “Early on in the process, I sit down with clients, and I have a laundry list of questions that have nothing to do with things you’d expect such as, ‘Do you like this type of sink?’ It’s not about that. It’s about asking them, ‘How you see yourself using the house? Who will use the house? Who gets up first in the morning? Do you have relatives who visit often? Do you anticipate grandchildren in the future? Do you entertain often, and, if so, how do you like to entertain guests?’ We do a massive interview so we can then get into the details of designing a home that will match their needs and dreams,” Dorian says.
07. Collaboration
FLAGG COASTAL HOMES shares with clients, “Design-Build cuts out the big egos so common in the design industry. In Design-Build the client retains total control over the project and the team is there to empower them.”
“I’ve seen architects who’ve said, ‘Here are my plans. You get three changes, and that’s it. It’s my house that I’ve designed. It’s my name.’ That’s not the way we at FLAGG COASTAL HOMES operate at all,” Dorian notes. “Obviously people come to us for our homes, but ultimately it’s their home. We give them the best house that matches their needs.”
08. The best kind of communication is open, honest, and often.
“This is critically important. Everything we do here is transparent with the client. We share every bill. We share every movement. Clients approve every bill and everything else. With today’s internet, it’s not a tedious thing for them to do. They can go online, look at a budget that we have set for them, and then look and see how much of that budget has been used. They can compare every bill to the budget,” Dorian says. “It prevents the feeling like you could possibly escalate out of control. You can feel comfortable that you’re at your game plan and that you’re making informed decisions.”
“Through clear communication the budget is defined early on and it becomes the agreement for the entire project,” FLAGG COASTAL HOMES says. By seeing and approving all costs associated with construction, clients can rest at ease knowing corners aren’t being cut, assured that what was promised in terms of quality is what is actually delivered.
09. Time is of the essence.
“Because we’re one team, we can make decisions around the table, officially at once a week meetings and daily on site. It’s quicker, and it’s cost-saving,” Dorian says. FLAGG COASTAL HOMES says, “Anything the team can do to avoid taking steps backwards is going to lead to better, faster and more cost-effective results. Big decisions can be revisited during construction without change orders or additional fees.”
10. Cost Savings
“Inherent to the Design-Build model is a savings of approximately 10% of the project costs,” FLAGG COASTAL HOMES says.
Additional Information:
FLAGG COASTAL HOMES
- Address: 954 C Avenue, Coronado, CA 92118
- Phone: (619) 435-1800
- Website: www.flagg.com
