We encountered 2989 Dolores Way during our house search tour in May of 1988, and both my wife and I fell in love with the house at once. We were impressed by the house's overall aesthetic. The house is characterized by its clean lines and open floor plans. Our attention was immediately drawn to the large windows and glass walls, which allow for a direct connection to nature. The structural elements are often exposed, creating a sense of visual transparency and spaciousness. We especially enjoy the central courtyard (atrium). We have lived in this house for 28 years and enjoyed every minute of it.

We later learned that the house was built by developer Joseph Eichler in the 1960s. Eichler homes are known for their high-quality construction, including the sturdy post-and-beam frame, along with other details like exposed wood ceilings and paneling. The original owner has since added more space to the house using the same structural system. As a structural engineer, I value this post-and-beam frame structural system, which is very effective in dealing with the high seismic forces that we encounter in the Bay Area. When we decided to replace glass panels a few years ago, I couldn’t help but practice my structural engineering. We added lateral ties to replace the old single-pane glass panels with two double-pane steel frame units. The use of lateral ties and glass frame units further strengthened the posts at the critical locations.

We enjoy the backyard, which provides a tranquil view of the bay. It also allowed us to try out many gardening designs over the years, including building a greenhouse to grow tomatoes. I have spent many summers building deck structures in the atrium and the backyard. I also added a few posts when building the front deck, adding structural capacity to the house. But as we got older, we slowly transformed the lush garden into a more manageable rock garden, which we have seen when traveling to Asia. We particularly treasure viewing the sunrise from the backyard in the morning.

Prior to moving to Burlingame, we lived in San Francisco, where I worked. At the time, our daughter was ready to graduate from primary school. Instead of sending her to a private school, we decided to look for a good public school district and relocated. We couldn’t be happier with choosing this school district. She ended up attending Burlingame Intermediate School, Mills High School, and eventually an Ivy League university. The location of this house allows us easy access to the freeways, providing me with many years of a simple commute to work in San Francisco. On those days that I didn’t feel like driving, I could simply take BART from the Millbrae Station.

On many weekends, we would walk leisurely down Burlingame Avenue, which is filled with hundreds of stores and restaurants, or visit the farmers market and take out great dim sum in Millbrae’s charming downtown. Both of these city centers offer us plenty of activities. My wife has been taking yoga classes and Jazzercise for years, making a lot of friends along the way. We also like to take morning walks in the neighborhood, enjoying good workouts and the opportunity to socialize with many of our neighbors. We often hike the nearby family-friendly Sawyer Camp Trail, which immediately transfers us into the wilderness.

We have contemplated downsizing many times in the past few years but did not follow through because of our attachment to the house and all the wonderful things the neighborhood offers. However, the need to transition our lifestyle is upon us now. We are going to miss this wonderful house, the neighborhood, and the warming sunrise looking out to the backyard, but we are looking forward to the next chapter in our lives too!