Nat'l attention for local renovator

By Chris Rooney

In the world of interior decorators and architectural designers, San Rafael’s Plath & Company is about to become a celebrity.

The general contracting firm, which specializes in the renovation of historic structures, will be featured in the February/March issue of Western Interiors and Design magazine. The publication, one of the nation’s most popular design magazines, showcases the project both on the cover and with an inside photo spread and article.

“It’s always exciting to get a major article on one of our projects and an even bigger achievement to get the cover,” said Steve Plath, the firm’s founder and CEO. “It’s a source of pride for us as a company and especially for those individuals who worked on it.”

The magazine article examines the St. Helena home, which was undergoing a complete face-lift. Plath & Co. was asked to provide its expertise early in the process, starting with pre-construction (preliminary evaluation, scope management, design review, scheduling, cost estimating) and project development for the home.

Plath employees performed all of the custom carpentry and one of the key elements of the structure was an existing water tower, which Plath & Co. (plathco.com) placed on a foundation in order to keep it in its original position on the property.

“This property had an old — 75-plus years — water tower that was incorporated into the new modernist structure at an odd angle to the new building,” Plath explained. “Tying the two structures together, one three stories high and the other one story high, was not only an aesthetic issue but a structural and mechanical one as well. For example, how to effectively waterproof the connections between the two structures, or how to physically connect two independent structures together, one old and one brand-new, in a realistic and effective way so that they act in concert during a seismic event. As always with a modernist structure, there are challenges in working with unusual materials, very tight reference points and small tolerances.”

Even the property’s location proved a challenge. Plath said the land had no direct street access and there is an easement for the driveway that crosses a neighbor’s property. “Developing a comfortable working relationship with the neighbors is critical,” he said.

Being featured in the magazine (westerninteriors.com) has gotten 2009 off to a strong start for Plath & Co., but it will be difficult to eclipse all of the firm’s accomplishments of the last year.

A restoration project in the Presidio Heights district of San Francisco earned Plath & Co. a silver in the annual Best of the Best Design Awards competition, which recognizes extraordinary design and construction.

The winning home Plath renovated was originally designed by architect Houghton Sawyer in 1913. The 10,000-square-foot, four-story unreinforced-masonry building needed its entire interior and exterior historically rehabilitated to bring it back to its original glory.

For the exterior portion, Plath contracted a terra cotta company that provided original 1913-era molding. The project threw a few curveballs at the Plath team. Removing old terra cotta exposed corroded structural steel, which was replaced as Plath progressed. All the remaining terra cotta pieces were reglazed afterward to lessen the contrast between the new and the old. All of the brickwork was repointed to bring back the original mortar color.

The house’s garage addition required Plath to temporarily support a quarter of the front of the house during excavation and steel work. This addition allowed the front patio to be extended across the whole width of the façade. A new set of doors and their associated terra cotta were copied from an adjacent opening to allow the family room direct access to the new patio.

Landscaping work included new retaining walls and planter beds, two fountains, three fire features, a hot tub, barbecue area, new walkways, privacy fences, gates, plants and lighting. Custom bronze castings and assemblies were incorporated in the gates, fountains and fire features.

The interior work included the redesign of every room in the house with the exception of the laundry room and a third-floor guest bathroom.

An additional perk of being an award winner: recognized projects were featured in the December issue of Professional Remodeler.

While the Best of the Best Award cited one Plath project, the firm was also included in the list of top general contractors in the nation. Plath raked No. 35 in Qualified Remodeler magazine, the longest-running ongoing recognition program that highlights the nation’s top contracting companies. Honorees are chosen based on significant success in installed remodeling dollar volume, total years in business, industry association membership, industry certification, industry awards and community service.

“We are proud to be ranked by one of the top construction magazines among some of the most notable companies in the nation,” said Plath.

The 2008 Top 500 list is available at qualifiedremodeler.com.

Rounding out the list of accolades was Plath & Co. being named among the “Best Places to Work” by the North Bay Business Journal.

During its third annual competition, the journal’s editorial staff ranked companies based on an anonymous employee survey that asked questions about workplace policies, leadership, job satisfaction and benefits.

“Since founding the firm more than 30 years ago, Plath & Co. has stayed true to its promise of high quality and fine work,” said Plath. “We are proud of having such a hardworking team of incredible people and will continue discovering, supporting and developing talent whose creativity and dedication wins the loyalty of our clients and partners.”

The firm was founded in 1975.