Fog and Form:
A Sea Cliff Renovation Story
FORMA Construction x Saul Estrada Studio
The fog never lifts all at once ...
Just west of the Golden Gate, perched on a bluff in San Francisco’s Sea Cliff neighborhood, sits a home mid transformation. Bordered by steep terrain and open sky, it faces the mouth of the Bay. It’s a place where fog, wind, and tide are in constant negotiation.
We arrived before sunrise, chasing a sliver of morning light. For six days, the forecast promised clarity. Each time, the fog held. Eventually, we stopped waiting.
The fog was the story.
Built Into The Landscape
From the bluff above China Beach, the house sits quietly in the fog—wrapped in scaffolding, perched just above the edge.
This stretch of coastline at the mouth of the Golden Gate is layered with history. Its topography has shaped the way people have lived and built here for generations.
It has been home to the Ohlone people, to Chinese fishermen, and to generations of builders and architects who saw potential in the bluffs above the Bay. The natural environment has always played a leading role here, and every intervention demands care and restraint.
That context makes this project especially meaningful.
This isn’t new construction. It’s a highly technical remodel: a careful reimagining of an existing home that honors what’s already here while adapting it for the next generation.
The structure is being retained, but much of it has been stripped to the studs. Temporary shoring now supports key areas while new concrete footings are formed below.
These footings will support a network of new steel columns and beams, enabling major structural upgrades throughout the home.
The project is at a turning point. Shifting from demolition to reconstruction. Reinforcing what’s here. Preparing for what’s next.
To build in a place like this means building with the land—not just on top of it.
Project Site Report
Tuesday, 4/22 — Foggy, light breeze. Concrete pour @ 1 p.m.
Inside, the house has been stripped to the bones. Most of the framing is old-growth redwood—exposed and intact after decades in place.
Temporary shoring is in place to support key load paths while foundation work progresses. Layout refinements are underway, but no new framing has been set. Existing conditions have been documented and reviewed in preparation for what comes next.
In the basement, the first in a series of concrete pours took place today. Three full trucks delivered concrete for the new footings, following inspection and sign-off last Friday (4/18). Tight access and low-clearance conditions continue to make the work challenging, but progress is steady.
Scaffolding wraps the rear elevation, which has been stripped down to the existing exterior sheathing. A few areas of demo remain, but most of the work is complete and ready for new waterproofing.
Stripped Back
With demo nearly complete, the structure stands exposed.
This kind of work isn’t loud. It’s deliberate. You're uncovering decisions made over decades. Some careful. Some rushed. Some layered over work that was never square to begin with.
Framing tells the truth. You pull nails. Correct old runs. Bring things back to level and in plane. It’s slow work. Skilled work.
When everything is exposed, you see exactly what you’re working with.
The noise fades when you step inside. You start to notice the small things. Clean cuts, straight lines, tight joints. Quiet signs of a crew that takes pride in the work.
Holding It All Up
Temporary shoring runs throughout the home—steel posts and cross-bracing hold critical load paths while the old bones are opened up and reworked. It’s not obvious to most, but this is what keeps the structure stable while the work unfolds.
Stand on the first floor and look down through newly opened sections of the floor deck. Below, layers of transformation are underway. Open bays reveal hand-dug footings, each one carefully reinforced with rebar. In spaces too tight for machines, every inch has been excavated, formed, and set by hand. These footings will support new steel columns—tying the reimagined structure together from the ground up.
It’s one of the most critical moments in the build: temporary and permanent systems working side by side to hold, shape, and prepare the house for what’s next.
Structural Integrity
Footing, n.
A concrete element that distributes structural loads into the ground and anchors the building to its foundation system. Pictured above.
Reinforcement Bar (rebar), n.
Steel bar used to resist tension forces within concrete. Tied into a cage that strengthens the footing and connects it to the rest of the structure.
Anchor Bolt, n.
Steel rod embedded in the footing to secure structural elements (i.e. columns) above.
Bolts are held in position using wooden forms and templates. Hooked ends or plate washers are part of the design, preventing pullout once the concrete cures—something a straight bolt alone would be prone to.
Note on Progress:
Rebar cage tied. Anchor bolts set. Inspection passed. Ready for concrete.
Before the Pour
Concrete waits for no one.
By the time you’ve passed inspection, the hard prep work is done—formwork is tied off, rebar is in place, anchor bolts are set. From here, it’s all about coordination. The team has a plan, a sequence, and a tight window to execute it.
Concrete is alive from the moment it leaves the plant. It flows, it cures, and it doesn’t stop for anyone. You get one shot—and once it starts, everyone has to move with focus and intent.
It’s the kind of work that rarely gets noticed.
"There’s something exciting about a concrete mixer pulling up to site. Every kid loves a truck—that never really leaves us."
Once the concrete starts flowing, focus takes over. Radios buzz. Hand signals fly. The rhythm sets in. You don’t stop until the pour is done—and then, suddenly, it is.
This crew made it look easy. They’ve worked together for years, and it shows. Every move was intentional. Every decision shared. They poured in the dark, in tight corners, with respect for the work and for each other. No wasted motion.
And when the last of the concrete clears the pump, everyone lingers for a moment—quietly taking in what just happened.
A Lasting Expression of Craft
This home is a reflection of a team guided by clarity, precision, and respect for the process.
From the earliest planning to the most technical moments on site, every step has been handled with intention. FORMA has led with quiet confidence, balancing what needed to be preserved with what had to evolve. The result is a testament to craft, trust, and the strength of a team that builds with purpose.
This project came at an important moment for me. I’m proud to be a part of its story, and grateful to the FORMA team for the opportunity, trust, and collaboration.
This kind of work deserves to be seen. It deserves to be remembered.
— Saul Estrada
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https://www.saulestrada.studio
contact@saulestrada.studio
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