Home & Garden

1 of 10

Next Photo

(Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times)

Email

1.	Permanent diet may equal longer life
2.	Fox 11's Jillian Reynolds untouched as layoffs lay waste to the TV station's staff
3.	Illegal immigrants again in the budget spotlight
4.	California IOUs to be shunned by big banks after today
5.	Michael Jackson's health records are subpoenaed

Thursday: The day in photos

Running with the bulls in Pamplona

Remembering Michael Jackson

Military operation in Afghanistan's Helmand province

Fans mourn Michael Jackson

The modern basement: La Jolla house adds space by building down instead of up

Most homeowners who want to maximize living space add a second or third floor. In beach cities with strict restrictions on the height of homes, however, residents and architects are building down. Basements not only yield bigger homes, but also draw less attention from the street and fewer sneers from neighbors tired of maxed-out mansions.

The trend is particularly strong in San Diego County, whose coastal communities have some of the most expensive land in the state. This view of Stefan Lemperle’s La Jolla house offers few clues of the surprise that awaits below ground.