Historic San Onofre Beach Club Undergoes Complete Renovation

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (July 24, 2015) When Myron Hunt—the famous American architect behind Southern California landmarks like the Rose Bowl and the Huntington Library—completed the San Onofre Beach Club in 1946, only five years before his death, he could not have imagined how narrowly the Marine Corps recreational building would be saved by a local veteran-owned business almost seventy years later.

Located on San Onofre Beach, a popular surfing and camping destination for Marines and their families, the Beach Club is a tangible record of America’s role in world history: after the end of World War II and its massive campaigns across the Pacific, the Marine Corps wanted to maintain a strong presence on the West Coast. The choice to create this beautiful building, with its elaborate ballroom and Spanish Revival style, instead of a purely utilitarian structure, “is a tangible example of that desire,” said Faye Jonason, Camp Pendleton history and museums officer in an interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune.

But by 2013, the Beach Club’s future was uncertain. Mid-century building techniques meant asbestos and lead paint were eminent throughout the facility, and the building was not properly protected against fire, lightning, or earthquakes. Moreover, Hunt’s design could not have foreseen the realities of a post-9/11 America: if the building was to be brought back into service, it would have to be redesigned to meet Anti-Terrorism specifications. Alongside these contemporary requirements, any restoration would have to meet the demands of the past: as a designated Historical Building, the Beach Club fell under strict State Historic Preservation Office and Department of the Interior requirements.

Herman Construction Group, the veteran-owned firm performing the renovations, believed that restoration was possible within the Government’s budgetary constraints. They assembled a team that included design firm KMA Architecture and Engineering and historical architecture firm Heritage Architects, who worked closely with the Naval Facilities Engineering Command design team to create a design that could synthesize both Historical Preservation and modern military demands, all within the available budget.

In an ordinary building, a renovation team can perform destructive investigation: if they need to find out how the electrical wiring is set up, for example, they can cut into a wall and take a look. When it comes to historical renovations, however, exploratory demolition is not allowed. Instead, the design team must rely on as-built drawings and old records of how the facility was built that may or may not be accurate.

After completing their design from the as-builts, the team went to work. Herman Construction soon discovered, however, that structural elements they had expected to be in place were not. Moreover, once approved demolition began, they discovered problems they could not have foreseen: the facility suffered from dry rot and termite infestation. These discoveries meant that the team had to go back to the design phase and rework the plans according to the actual on-site conditions. 

Consider how much goes into any building: walls, floors, ceilings—even something as simple as light fixtures becomes a challenge in historical preservation. “The goal is to adhere to the true nature of the building,” said John Herman, project manager. “You don’t just guess; you have to be sure.”

So the design team reached out to the community for help, publishing a call for historical photographs of the Beach Club in the San Diego Union-Tribune. They then reached out to the same manufacturer in charge of creating historical light fixtures for the White House, had precise reproductions of the Beach Club fixtures custom-made.

But Herman Construction’s goal was not merely to make the building look as it once did. Instead, their aim was to preserve its appearance while also making the building sustainable. To that end, they found ways to incorporate water-conserving plumbing fixtures, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, and energy-efficient lighting—all while remaining faithful to the building’s history. Now, after almost two years of labor, the renovations and safety upgrades to the Beach Club have been completed. The result is a place for Camp Pendleton’s Marines and their families to relax, one that proudly wears its history while looking toward a sustainable future. Though it’s 63 years too late to ask him, it’s easy to imagine that Hunt would proud to see what has become of his Beach Club today.

For more information, visit Herman Construction Group.