Transcendent Touch opens new studio

FALLBROOK – After almost an entire decade in planning and execution, Transcendent Touch Healing Massage opened the doors to its new home studio near Live Oak Park, Nov. 4. The project not only transformed the residence of local therapist Craig Lozzi, but the journey was also a process of personal growth, discovery and renewal, he said.

"I never imagined it would take so long or that it would cost so much, but in the end, I am so grateful to create an environment that feels so inspiring to me daily. More amazing, is that our clients feel the same way. Joseph Addison wrote, 'There is nothing that makes its way more directly to the soul than beauty.' That seems to be what is happening here, much to my delight and amazement," Lozzi said.

As the project unfolded, many decisions were addressed with the overriding guideline of blending the architecture with the majestic environment of the valley filled with Live Oak Creek and the many majestic oak and sycamore trees that grace the property, he said.

At the same time, Lozzi said the focus was to bring the feeling of nature and its beauty into the defining elements on both the inside and outside of the structure. Trees that fell on the property some 12 years ago were milled into one-of-kind lumber and crafted by local wood artists into doors, windowsills and furniture inside the house.

"Although I have heated with wood the entire time I have resided in Fallbrook, when those magnificent trees fell, I vowed to find a way to honor them...and in doing so warm the heart and not just the hearth," Lozzi said about the tragedy of seeing four oaks sharing a common trunk topple over on his property.

Three years were spent in the county building department with a plan to incorporate a new technology of framing the house without wood, but instead using a lightweight concrete that was supported by structural concrete, while providing a wall system that eliminated drywall, insulation and stucco.

Cellular concrete is fire-proof and termite proof, offering incredible insulating value and seismic strength and flexibility, he said.

"Ultimately, getting through the last counter at the county (structural) proved too expensive and time-consuming. So, I decided to build a conventional wood-framed structure and incorporate as many environmentally friendly, sustainable practices as possible," Lozzi said.

When the project was first conceived, the economy was slow and building materials and labor were relatively cheap, by the time construction started many things had changed that severely affected the cost of the project.

In January 2018, the county adopted a new, more stringent code affecting many aspects of construction, including new statewide guidelines for seismic retrofitting.

"My general contractor, Ron Sortor, who did an incredible job of being creative and flexible with our building plans, estimated that the new codes added easily $25,000 of additional cost to construction just in concrete and steel for the footings and foundation-work, not to mention changes for electrical and structural," Lozzi said.

At the same time, the government of Canada reacted to the U.S.'s trade tariffs by increasing the cost of lumber imported into the U.S. This resulted in increased lumber costs between 200-300% for the entire project.

The U.S. economy was now hot, and locally, the construction trades were booming. To further complicate the financial end of the picture, the bank providing the construction loan sometimes took up to six weeks to reimburse the project for work already done.

"I found myself obtaining personal loans and putting things on credit cards with an interest-free period, just to keep the project moving! To say the least, I grew in my faith and belief of what is possible. With every new challenge, I felt guided to a solution that was not, at first, remotely apparent. I would just call this grace," Lozzi said.

When the project was completed, it was time for the finishing touches inside. Lozzi hung all the art, and when finished, he realized all the art on the walls were by people he knew. The majority of the pieces were created by his daughter, Laurel, who also practices massage at the studio. Several were also created by longtime friend Marcia Sauser and hung as a legacy to her work as she died in 2010.

Also included are a few by Fallbrook's own native son, artist Brett Stokes.

"At first I had no clue all the art on the walls was from people I knew. But they were the ones that just fit," Lozzi said. "Laurel and I love the power of healing touch and we are inspired to add to the experience here."

Besides massage therapy, Lozzi and his daughter will offer natural food cooking classes, aromatherapy education, life and health coaching and some small poetry and musical events. That is, after they enjoy a few months rest and put some time into a few more finishing touches. Transcendent Touch Healing Massage can be reached at (760) 533-3505.

Submitted by Transcendent Touch Healing Massage.