An extremely hazardous cliff and slope condition overlooking Pacific Coast Highway called for an unique coastal bluff repair project. The solution-- a natural looking "bluffscape" wall-- was recently implemented with shotcrete skin, gunite diaphragms, nail aprons and a permeon coloring process. Not including the twenty-five feet of gunite diaphragm and nail apron caps, the wall extends 1,100 feet in length and up to fifty-eight feet in retaining height. Landscape Architects at San Juan Capistrano-based Richard Price & Associates, Inc. softened the visual effect of the new wall and directed the retaining wall shotcrete and tieback aesthetic design in support of the Civil Engineer, Geotechnical Engineer and Structural Engineer. (See "Man Bluffs Nature's Hand, LASN December 1995.)

By incorporating elements that allow the wall to emulate natural slope features-- such as a gunite capping system which makes the wall appear realistic, structural adjustments to the tieback retaining walls, and piers and panels that provide visual, dimensional relief to a straight wall-- the wall "fools" travelers into believing that nature created the man-made attraction along the scenic coastal drive.

As part of the San Clemente Engineering Department's plan to restructure and spruce up the prominent coastal cliff and scenic highway, the landscape concept includes a native plant solution with a Mediterranean themed streetscape. Senior Principal Richard Price, RLA, is currently directing the plans to secure the existing Colony Cove Condos that are precariously perched over the 100-foot-tall slope. Native planting will landscape the entire soil area, creating a luscious palette that will preserve the bluff.