Builder Tucks Away Tech Zone

RWR Homes, based in Van Nuys, Calif., prides itself on its ability to add a little more custom to its production homes. Klaus Mendenhall, general manager of the company's San Diego division, which will do 287 homes this year, says he tends to put in more niches and surprise spaces than most production builders do.

Full of great spaces, Plan 3 at Lost Creek in Chula Vista, Calif., features a built-in hutch (made from stock cabinetry) that opens to an adjoining nook and dining room. The plan bumps in on one side to accommodate a courtyard on its narrow lot and provide more opportunities for letting in natural light.

To create a grand entrance to the master suite, project manager Arlene Edjourian from Bloodgood Sharp Buster Architects and Planners designed a short rotunda hall that echoes the rotunda motif in the home's formal main entry.

The hall leaves room on either side for a second-level laundry room and a real design gem: a 4x8-foot tech room/study just big enough for a built-in desk on the back wall and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on one side. Opposite the shelving, two windows brighten the space, and the open doorway opens to a Juliet balcony overlooking the staircase and entry below.

Aimed at move-up families with children, Plan 3 is one of four plans at Lost Creek, all of which include designated computer areas.